Kenya to Phase Out Paper Degrees in Favour of Digital Verifiable Credentials
Kenya is set to ditch traditional paper degrees for digital verifiable credentials, in a move officials say will boost efficiency, transparency and trust in education and job market.
Cabinet Secretary for Information, Communications and the Digital Economy (MICDE) William Kabogo, a former Kiambu Governor, announced the plan during the opening of a stakeholders’ workshop on verifiable credentials.
Kabogo said the government is developing a secure digital framework that will allow institutions to issue, store and authenticate certificates electronically. The initiative will eliminate long-standing problems associated with paper-based certificates including forgery, delays in issuance and high administrative costs.
“The Government of Kenya is establishing mechanisms to replace paper degrees with digital verifiable credentials which can be authenticated digitally,” Kabogo said.
The workshop brought together representatives from Ministry of Education, Tony Blair Institute (TBI) and other stakeholders to discuss practical steps towards implementing digital credentials and digital wallets nationwide.
Kabogo said Kenya’s reliance on physical certificates has exposed the job market to risks. Fake academic qualifications have eroded trust while manual verification processes slow down recruitment and create unnecessary costs. He said adopting verifiable credentials will not only secure data but also fasten verification processes.
“Verifiable credentials will address the risks that affect Kenya’s job market, delays in issuing certificates and prevalence of fake documents,” he explained.
The system will protect student data, restore integrity in the education sector and simplify processes for graduates and job seekers by reducing bureaucratic hurdles.
Kabogo also said Kenya’s adoption of digital academic credentials will inspire similar reforms across Africa, positioning the continent as a leader in modernising education and employment systems.
“This will pave way for rolling out verifiable credentials across Africa,” he added.
The workshop was attended by ICT E-Government and Digital Economy Secretary Mary Kerema, TBI experts Andrew Ferrier, Michael Viano and Charles Kinyeki and senior Ministry of Education officials.
Kenya’s move to digital credentials is part of the government’s broader digitization agenda and aligns with the demands of a technology driven global economy.
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Kenya to Phase Out Paper Degrees in Favour of Digital Verifiable Credentials