A senior official from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has been arraigned on charges of forgery after allegedly obtaining fake academic certificates to secure his position.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) revealed that Kenneth Kiplangat Tonui fraudulently acquired a Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) to secure employment at IEBC and unlawfully earned a total of Ksh9,281,655.
In a statement on Thursday, January 30, the Integrity Commission said two other officials from the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company (NSWSC) have also been arraigned.
“The EACC has arraigned three public officials on various charges related to forgery of academic certificates, which they used to secure employment and promotions in public institutions,” read the statement in part.
Senior IEBC Official Who Earned Ksh9 Million Through Forged Certificates Arraigned
The arraignment came after the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) concurred with the Commission’s recommendations to charge the suspects.
Appearing before the Milimani Anti-Corruption Principal Magistrate, Celesa Okore on January 24, 2025, Tonui denied the charges.
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This included forgery, deceiving the principal, uttering a false document, and the fraudulent acquisition of public property amounting to Ksh9,281,655.00, being the cumulative salary paid to him by the IEBC.
“He was released on a bond of Ksh500,000, with a surety of similar amount, or an alternative cash bail of KES 100,000,” said EACC.
The case is scheduled for mention on 6th February 2025.
Nairobi Water Officials Used Forged Degree and Diploma Certificates from JKUAT
At the same time, two officials from the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company have been charged with forgery and fraud after allegedly using fake academic certificates to secure their positions within the company.
Joseph Kihara Kaburugu, a sports Supervisor at the company, is accused of forging a Diploma Certificate in Sports Science Management from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture & Technology (JKUAT).
On January 21, 2025, he appeared before the Milimani Anti-Corruption Court, where he denied the charges.
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He was granted a bond of Ksh500,000, with a similar surety or an alternative cash bail of Ksh100,000. His case is scheduled for mention on February 4, 2025.
Meanwhile, Stacey Mwikali Mbati, an ICT Officer at the company, is accused of using a forged Bachelor of Information Technology degree, falsely claiming it was issued by JKUAT.
On January 23, 2025, she was charged with fraudulent acquisition of public property, forgery, uttering a false document, and deceiving the principal.
However, Mwikali denied the charges and was released on a bond of Ksh500,000, with similar surety or an alternative cash bail of Ksh100,000. Her case will be mentioned on February 5, 2025.
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