- The Council said it’s mandatory for applicants to attach a copy of the lost certificate or result slip alongside confirmation from the Registrar of Persons.
- "Unnecessary bureaucracy. If one presents the ID, why send the to the Registrar of Persons?" One Kenyan asked.
An uproar has greeted a clarification by the Kenya National Examination Council that it does not replace lost certificates with a majority of Kenyans asking the council to reconsider the policy.
They said many Kenyans who have lost their academic certificates face significant challenges particularly when seeking employment where physical proof of one’s academic prowess is essential.
In a statement on July 29, Knec said in what it termed as “setting the record straight” that it does not issue copies of lost certificates.
“Instead, we issue a certification letter to those who may have lost their certificates. The certification letter is legally acceptable and can be used in the place of the lost certificate,” the council said.
The national examiner outlined the process of application for one to acquire the certification letter which also includes payment of Sh5,220 application fees.
Registration on the council website at https://qmis.knec.ac.ke is starting point after which one logs in with credentials forwarded to the email.
“Fill in the index number, type of exam and year then click FIND,” Knec instructed.
The Council said applicants must attach a copy of the lost certificate or result slip alongside a copy of national ID, police abstract, passport-size photo and confirmation from the Registrar of Persons before applying.
Kenyans said Knec was subjecting them to unnecessary bureaucracy as some questioned the rationale behind charging them Sh5,220 for the exercise.
They stated that some people lost their certificates through unforeseen calamities such as floods and fire accidents and did not photocopy the documents.
“Why the hell do you need someone to attach a copy of what they are looking for in the first place?” one Kenyan asked.
“Sadly I couldn't replace mine because our house got burnt a while back. I have tried to find a copy of it from my primary and secondary school but have not been successful. The only thing I have is the index number that my former primary school gave me. Knec should be considerate,” added another.
Several other Kenyans pointed out that more sensitive and critical documents such as national IDs and passports are replaceable and as such, it beats logic that the same cannot apply to lost or defaced academic certificates.
They said in the era of advanced technology, Knec should not hide behind the fear of fraud for refusing to issue copies of the essential documents.
"If passports are replaced, surely certificates should be replaced. Come out of 1978 by-laws,” one Kenyan said.
“If one presents the ID, why send them to the Registrar of Persons? Why not automate printing of replica certificates? The dizzying merry-go-round you subject applicants serves no purpose in the 21st century,” added another.
A suggestion that Knec automates the application for copies of certificates by uploading results on eCitizen so that anyone can print their certificate whenever they need it was also floated.
“The way we simply download our KRA pin certificate on iTax. Why the complications yet this is a digital government,” one asked.
Concerns were also raised on the mandatory requirement that applicants must indicate their index numbers with some asking “what happens if you can’t remember the Index No and the school you attended doesn't have those records”.
“I believe as a matter of public interest let us all raise awareness on it. Hii ni dhuluma kwa mwananchi [This is injustice to citizens]. We need duplicate certificates not letters,” one Kenyan said.
In its public notice, Knec said it has since automated the process of submitting examination related queries and as such, applicants do not need to physically visit its offices unless when collecting documents generated after their queries have been resolved.
The Council said once one has attached copies of all the relevant documents, they will receive a confirmation SMS after which they will log in again and make a payment of Sh5,220 and wait for the application to be processed.
It said one should keep checking the system to know the status of their application.
“Once the process is complete, you will receive an SMS notification to collect your certification letter from the Knec offices,” the Council said.