Why fake certificates for jobs in public service is organised crime

In a country with a literacy level above 82 per cent, one does not need a degree or diploma to be appointed as an ambassador. Therefore, if we do not require education for a high-ranking diplomat (who is our face in another country), why on earth do we need a public servant to hold a genuine academic qualification?

Were it not for Mr Charles Githinji’s inability to grasp basic things like the meaning of GDP and inability to perform other elementary mental tasks, the MPs would have okayed his nomination. Interestingly, the honourable members lamented that the candidate did not get a coach to prepare him for the vetting process.

The qualification issue has never bothered our honourable members. Otherwise, they would have presented a motion in Parliament to demand that someone possess at least a degree to be considered for an ambassadorial appointment.

If a D- candidate with E in English and Kiswahili qualifies to be an ambassador, why do we need a more qualified person working in the public sector? Why do we need to fund public universities when we can get qualifications at a cheaper price at River Road University?

More questions! Why should we convince our children that education and qualification matter when they can watch cartoons instead of going to school, save that money and use a fraction of it to buy a certificate at River Road University? Do we have a country here?

It is not shocking that over 2,100 government employees have ‘procedurally’ secured employment in the public sector using fake documents. It is now evident that devolution regionalised more corruption and theft than it did development and service delivery.

No wonder one does not need to go through school to be employed in the public sector – one can buy a certificate at River Road University, go through a rigorous interview and beat genuine graduates.

Like the existence of ghost workers, the fake document jobs saga is organised crime. The fact that a quark can work for over 10 years without being noticed casts many aspersions on the nature of jobs in the public service. How much competence does the job require? Do employees in the public sector even work, and how are output and delivery measured? Are there key performance indicators in the public service?

The public sector should tell the country whether the ‘quarks’ can deliver like regular graduates. How did they pass through interviews? Does the government (both national and county) care about quality service delivery?

If the State House can nominate an uneducated person as an ambassador, doesn't that mean the rot is right from the head? What can prevent the world from concluding that Kenya’s public service prefers River Road graduates over genuine graduates? When will we have a country?