Earned millions: 2 former public employees charged over forged certificates
This story has significance for readers across Kenya and beyond.
- The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission charged two former public institution employees over forged academic certificates used to secure employment
- John Murira Mwicigi allegedly used a fake KCSE certificate to get hired at Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company and collected salaries for over 16 years
- Kevine Agweyo Okullo faced separate charges after submitting a forged trade test certificate when applying for a technician post at Kenyatta University Hospital
Two former employees of public institutions have been arraigned at the Milimani Anti-Corruption Court on charges linked to the use of forged certificates to obtain employment in the public service.
The suspects, John Murira Mwicigi and Kevine Agweyo Okullo, appeared separately before the court on Wednesday, August 12, and denied all charges laid against them.
Mwicigi's case: 16 years of fraudulent earnings
According to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), Mwicigi, who previously served as a security supervisor at the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company (NCWSC), was accused of presenting a Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) certificate that investigations revealed was falsified.
The document was purportedly issued by the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) and indicated he had studied at Githaiga Secondary School, an institution he never attended.
Prosecutors allege he relied on the forged document to secure his position at NCWSC, subsequently drawing salaries from 2007 through to December 2023.
"He allegedly used the certificate to secure employment at NCWSC and fraudulently acquired public property amounting to KSh 15.86 million in salaries earned between 2007 and December 2023," EACC said.
The EACC forwarded the case to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), which approved charges of fraudulent acquisition of public property, forgery, and uttering a false document.
Okullo's case at Kenyatta University Hospital
In the second matter, Okullo, a former heating, ventilation, and air conditioning technician at the Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral, and Research Hospital (KUTRRH), was accused of submitting a forged Certificate in Refrigeration Grade II Trade Test when he applied for the role.
The certificate was purportedly issued by the National Industrial Training Authority (NITA). He was charged with providing false information, forgery, and uttering a false document.
Both suspects were released on a cash bail of KSh 100,000 each, or alternatively on a KSh 1 million bond backed by a surety of the same amount.
The cases come amid increasing scrutiny of academic certificate fraud within Kenya's public institutions, where forged qualifications have been detected across multiple government agencies and state corporations.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
Reporting originally appeared via TUKO. Read the full source for additional context.