Court Fines Former Gov’t Employee Ksh5 Million or 8-Year Prison Over Fraudulent Academic Certificates
A former KEPHIS employee has been slapped with a Ksh5 million fine or an eight-year prison sentence by Nairobi’s Anti-Corruption Court.
The judgment, issued on August 20, concludes a case that highlighted a serious breach of public trust.
The ex-Assistant Inspector II was found guilty of using fraudulently obtained academic certificates to gain employment at KEPHIS.
It emerged in court that the accused falsely claimed qualifications from Baraka Agricultural College and Kilifi Institute of Agriculture, information that was later debunked as fabricated.
Chief Magistrate Thomas Nzyoki imposed a fine of Ksh100,000 or a 12-month jail term for fraudulently acquiring academic certificates.
Additionally, the Court mandated a fine of Ksh4.7 million—the total earnings during the employee’s tenure at KEPHIS—or a five-year imprisonment if unpaid.
The fraudulent conduct spanned from June 2013 to April 2021, during which the employee collected a salary based on fake documents.
Prosecutor Susan Keli established that KEPHIS was misled into believing the employee was qualified, resulting in illicit public fund misappropriation.
Besides the primary fraud conviction, the former employee was also found guilty on two counts of submitting false information to a public entity, each with a fine of Ksh200,000 or a two-year sentence.
These charges stemmed from the false claims on the employment form, where the employee asserted holding a Diploma in Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development and a Certificate in Agriculture with Distinction—both of which were fictitious.
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The EACC launched an investigation after KEPHIS’s Managing Director raised concerns on June 8, 2021, questioning the legitimacy of the employee’s academic credentials.
The investigation uncovered that the employee forged both a Diploma in Sustainable Agriculture and a Certificate from the Kilifi Institute of Agriculture, alongside a fake KCSE certificate with a C grade.
These forgeries enabled him to secure a position at KEPHIS, earning over Ksh4.7 million through the years.
Following the EACC’s inquiry, the ODPP approved the employee’s arrest on 12 charges, including fraudulent fund acquisition, forgery, and submitting false information.
Formal charges were filed at the Anti-Corruption Court in Milimani on May 25, 2023.
During the trial, evidence revealed that the employee knowingly submitted false qualifications in his KEPHIS job application on February 8, 2013.
These fabrications were solely aimed at securing the role.
While the employee was acquitted of four forgery charges due to gaps in evidence, he was convicted on all remaining counts of fraud and false information submission.
The sentences are to be served consecutively, starting from July 30, 2024.
Court Fines Former Gov’t Employee Ksh5 Million or 8-Year Prison Over Fraudulent Academic Certificates
