Kenya is preparing to phase out traditional paper degrees in favour of digital, verifiable credentials, a shift which the government says will revolutionise the country’s education and job market systems.
Cabinet Secretary for Information, Communications and the Digital Economy (MICDE) William Kabogo announced the plan when he was opening a stakeholders’ workshop on verifiable credentials in Nairobi. Kabogo explained that the government is developing a secure digital platform that will allow academic certificates to be issued and authenticated electronically.
“The Government of Kenya is establishing effective mechanisms for replacing paper degrees with a Digitally Verifiable Credential, which can be securely authenticated using a digital system,” Kabogo said. The workshop brought together officials from MICDE, the Ministry of Education, the Tony Blair Institute (TBI), and other partners.
Today’s discussions centred on how digital credentials and digital wallets can be tested, implemented, and adopted nationwide. Kabogo noted that paper certificates have long exposed the labour market to inefficiencies and fraud. Manual verification processes often delay issuance, while handling costs and the rise of fake academic documents have undermined the credibility of qualifications.
“Implementing verifiable credentials addresses risk factors that directly impact Kenya’s quality labour market, such as costs and delays caused by manual checks and the circulation of fraudulent certificates,” he added. According to the CS, the digital system will strengthen data security, safeguard privacy, restore integrity in the education sector — and finally make verification faster and more transparent. For students and job seekers, it promises reduced bureaucracy and quicker access to opportunities. Kabogo further highlighted that the reform could inspire wider adoption across Africa, positioning the continent as a leader in digitalizing education and employment systems.
“The successful implementation of this process will pave the way for rolling out verifiable credentials across Afrixca,” he said. The forum was attended by ICT E-Government and Digital Economy Secretary Mary Kerema and TBI experts Andrew Ferrier, Michael Viano, and Charles Kinyeki, among others.
With the government’s commitment to ditch paper-based processes, Kenya’s transition to digital academic credentials signals a bold step in aligning education with the demands of the modern digital economy.
