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The recent steps taken by the UK government to end the use of essay mills by its students is a blow to thousands of Kenyan students and university graduates who rely on academic contract writing as their main source of income. An integrity expert tells in his blog that the participants think of their jobs as providing a service of value, not as helping people to cheat. They see themselves as working as academic writers but this practice is considered unethical and there are concerns it will have damaging effects on the quality of higher education.

The Education Cabinet Secretary has vowed to ensure that people using fake university degree papers are unearthed. Addressing principals at All Saints Cathedral Anglican in Nairobi, the education CS lashed out at those who want to assume leadership roles by irregularly acquiring academic qualifications, saying the ministry will rein in on academic miscreants in an effort to promote integrity. He urged the principals to be at the forefront in instilling virtues and challenged them to take responsibility for failures in their institutions.

Teachers must abide by the code of conduct and ethics that have been developed by their employers, the anti-corruption watchdog has said. “Compliance with the ethical and integrity standard set under these law is a duty and not a choice. No sector or individual is at liberty to choose what provisions of the law to apply to them,” said the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) chief executive officer. Teachers have rejected attempts to have their their income and assets audited while in service and on exit by by their employer, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).

The Ministry of Education is working on new guidelines that will ensure that the integrity of examination certificates is restored. The guidelines set to be tabled soon in Parliament will have stiffer penalties on responsibilities of all those involved in examination process. Sweeping changes have been done at the Kenya National Examinations Council with a view of restoring examinations integrity. Last month, the government disbanded the Kenya National Examinations Council board over last year’s national exams cheating scandal.