Forgery Suspects Cornered in Ksh17 Million Public Wage Heist
A former employee of Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST) has been charged at the Kakamega Anti-Corruption Court over allegations of forging academic documents to secure employment and fraudulently earning more than Ksh7.5 million in salaries and benefits.
The high-profile case highlights a sweeping, multi-agency effort by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) to purge unqualified personnel from the public payroll.
In Kakamega, the suspect allegedly relied on a web of multiple forged documents to secure her placement at the university, allowing her to draw millions in public funds over several years. Investigators spent months tracking the discrepancies back to various academic institutions before making an arrest.
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The prosecution presented a detailed breakdown of the credentials used to execute the deception, revealing that the fraud spanned secondary school to specialized tertiary training.
“Investigations by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) established that the suspect, Ms. Florah Lipesa Koloba, allegedly forged a Diploma certificate in Community Health Nursing from Kenya Medical Training College, a Nursing Certificate from the Nursing Council, and a KCSE certificate from Matende Secondary School. She is accused of using the forged documents to obtain employment at MMUST,” the statement read in part.
The case file was processed through the criminal justice system once the discrepancies were verified. Following an independent review of the evidence compiled by investigators, the prosecution gave the green light to move forward with formal charges in court.
“Upon conclusion of investigations, the Commission forwarded the case file to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), who concurred with the recommendation to institute criminal proceedings against the suspect,” the statement added.
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Appearing before the Kakamega Law Courts, the accused person contested the state’s narrative and sought release on bail terms. The judiciary granted the request while setting a strict timeline for the commencement of the trial.
“The accused denied all charges and was released on a cash bail of Ksh500,000 or a bond of Ksh1 million with a surety of a similar amount,” the statement further read.
Beyond securing a criminal conviction, anti-graft detectives are expanding their focus to include asset recovery. The commission is asserting that individuals who secure jobs using false pretenses have no legal right to the remuneration packages they received.
“The Commission will, in addition to criminal prosecution, institute civil proceedings to recover salaries and benefits unlawfully obtained through the use of fraudulent academic qualifications,” the statement concluded.
Meanwhile, a similar case unfolded at the Milimani Anti-Corruption Court involving a long-serving plumber at the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company. The artisan managed to evade detection for nearly three decades using a certificate forged in 1997, earning over Ksh5.9 million before state agencies uncovered the decades-old misrepresentation.
“The court heard that from August 2015 to December 31, 2023, while working as an artisan at Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company Limited, the accused illegally obtained public money, totalling Ksh5,909,037.10, which was his salary earned after getting hired with a fake KCSE certificate that he claimed was issued by KNEC and that the company used to hire him.
“He was charged in Milimani Anti-Corruption Court with the offences of fraudulent acquisition of public property, forgery, uttering a false document, deceiving a principal, and presentation of a forged certificate,” the statement read in part.
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In a third enforcement action, an accountant at the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) was arrested in Kisii for upgrading his KCSE grade from a C- (minus) to a C+ to gain admission to Kisii University. He subsequently used the fraudulently acquired degree to secure a promotion, drawing Ksh3.9 million in salaries.
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These cases underscore a coordinated offensive by the EACC and ODPP to eliminate credential fraud. Government agencies are sending an unambiguous warning that the cost of academic forgery will be financially and legally devastating, combining criminal prosecution with aggressive civil litigation to claw back stolen wages.
