NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 12-The Commission on Administrative Justice (CAJ), popularly known as the Office of the Ombudsman, has secured the release of KCSE certificates for two former students whose academic documents had allegedly been withheld by their former schools, reinforcing the government’s position that certificates should not be used to settle disputes or recover school-related costs.The interventions came after separate complaints were lodged by former students who said the withholding of their certificates had denied them access to employment and higher education opportunities.In the first case, a former student identified as S.N. complained to the Commission on April 10, 2026, accusing Kisumazi Secondary School of unlawfully retaining her KCSE certificate despite repeated efforts to collect it since 2023.According to the Commission, the complainant argued that the school’s actions had directly affected her future prospects.“She maintained that the continued withholding of the document contravened the Ministry of Education’s directives and had caused her to miss several employment and academic opportunities,” the Commission said.The Ombudsman subsequently wrote to the school’s principal on April 24 seeking clarification. In a response dated May 19, the principal denied withholding the certificate and stated that it was ready for collection.“In a letter dated 19th May, 2026, the Principal denied withholding the certificate and confirmed that it was available for collection,” the Commission noted.The school attached a photograph of the certificate as proof and advised the former student to collect it. The Commission forwarded the response to S.N., who later picked up the document, resolving the complaint.In a separate matter, St. Mary’s Boys High School-Ushanganyi released the KCSE certificate of former student H.G. after intervention by the rights watchdog.H.G. had filed a complaint on March 16, 2026, alleging that the school had refused to release his certificate despite completing his studies in 2024 and clearing all school fees.According to the complaint, school officials demanded Sh6,400 for alleged textbook losses and equipment damage, even though the principal had approved the release of the certificate and the school’s laboratory technician had confirmed that he had a clean record.“He further noted that the withholding of the certificate was contrary to the Ministry of Education’s March 2025 directive on the unconditional release of certificates and had disrupted his university admission process,” the Commission said.The Ombudsman took up the matter with the school on April 17 and later issued a reminder on May 14 seeking the institution’s response.Following the intervention, H.G. informed the Commission that he had successfully received his certificate on May 15.“Mr. H.G. wrote to the Commission confirming that he had successfully received his certificate from the school on 15th May, 2026, and expressed his gratitude, leading to the resolution of the matter,” the statement added.The two cases shine a spotlight on the continued practice by some schools of withholding academic certificates over alleged debts and administrative disputes despite clear directives from the Ministry of Education barring the practice.Rights advocates have consistently argued that certificates are personal academic records and withholding them unfairly locks young people out of employment, university admission and other opportunities that require proof of academic qualifications.The successful resolution of the complaints is expected to encourage more affected students to seek redress through the Ombudsman’s office as authorities intensify efforts to enforce compliance with government policy on the unconditional release of academic certificates.