Education Cabinet Secretary prof George Magoha has for the first time talked about the ongoing ‘degree’ saga.

The cs faulted political candidates for having to prove that they are went to the university and acquired degrees even when they did not and they know they did not.

“From a professional view, I, Magoha, son of Magoha, will not fright to say I am not what I am not,” Magoha said.

Magoha, who served as a vice chancellor at the University of Nairobi for many years,said it is very easy to prove if one studied at the institution.

“If you want transcripts of somebody who studied at UoN in 1975, you’ll just touch a button and you’ll get transcripts,” Magoha said.

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He was speaking at Pangani Girls on Thursday during the commissioning of a CBC classroom, an event that was presided over by him .

He asked political leaders to refrain from straining universities to prove they were students.

Magoha, an alumnus of Starehe Boys, said if he is asked to mention his former classmates then he will.

“If you were to ask me where are my classmates of 46-47 years ago, I will give you. They are all over the world and most of them are retired,” he added.

Magoha was referring to cases of several candidates who were taken to court over alleged fake degrees, including Johnson Sakaja, Wavinya Ndeti, Simba Arati, Polycarp Igathe and many others.

Kenya National Qualifications Authority (KNQA), has revealed plans to establish a database that lists all qualifications of all Kenyans to “improve the process of picking out fake certificates using information and mobile technology”.

The Elections Act, 2011 prescribes a university degree as a minimum requirement for anyone seeking to be the president, deputy president, governor or deputy governor.

The database will include information on politicians, many of whom have had the authenticity of their academic papers questioned.

KNQA director Kilemi Mwiria wades into the debate on whether MPs and Members of the County Assembly should hold degrees, saying such qualifications don’t make leaders. He, however, argues that education would enhance leadership skills.

The body does not have information on a majority of Kenyans. Its hands are tied on this end, given that they work on a request basis.

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“We only check once we have been asked to check or if anyone has complained… what we do is communicate with the institutions involved to find out if a said person undertook a programme at their institution,” says Mwiria.

“Checking qualifications is part of the integrity test. That is why we are forging a close working relationship with stakeholders such as the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations and the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.”

Just last month, the Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) testified in court that Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi had forged academic certificates. Sudi may not have to worry about a pursuit from Mwiria and his team if he decides to seek re-election as MPs are exempted from any qualifications.

“Our job is not to witch-hunt politicians. Our business is to ensure the people who get into jobs are qualified and that their certificates are not fraudulent. If the big shots have fake papers, we will have no problem saying it to their face that they are fake,” says Mwiria.

Kenya has for the longest time grappled with quacks occupying ‘big offices.’ The KNQA boss attributes this to the loopholes that have allowed people to forge certificates, essentially “buying themselves into jobs”.

He further proposes reforms in the education sector that would make competition between schools fairer.

He argues that students from day schools are mostly disadvantaged as they lack the facilities that would allow them to compete with those from national schools, denying them the chance to pursue preferable courses.