A Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company employee has been convicted after it emerged that he used a forged academic certificate to secure his job.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) revealed that the suspect had presented a fake Diploma in Sports Science Management purportedly issued by Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT). Investigations later confirmed that the document was not genuine.
After thorough investigations, the EACC forwarded the case file to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), who approved charges of forgery and uttering a false document.
The suspect was subsequently arraigned before Chief Magistrate Harrison Barasa at the Milimani Anti-Corruption Court in January 2025, where he pleaded not guilty.
Following a full trial, the court ruled on September 30 that the evidence presented proved beyond doubt that the accused was guilty of presenting a false document, contrary to Section 353 of the Penal Code. He was, however, acquitted of the separate forgery charge.
On October 2, the court sentenced him to a fine of Ksh100,000 or one year in prison.
In a statement, the EACC welcomed the ruling, warning that anyone attempting to secure public employment through deceit would face the law.
“EACC reaffirms its commitment to safeguarding integrity in public service by holding accountable those who seek advantage through fraudulent means,” the commission stated.
This case comes just months after another Nairobi Water official faced charges for using a forged KCSE certificate to gain employment and for illegally acquiring property worth Ksh7.5 million.
The repeated cases have raised concerns over rampant credential fraud in public institutions, with the anti-graft agency urging government bodies to conduct strict verification of academic qualifications during recruitment.
Tags
News