NAIROBI, Kenya- The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has arrested three public officials in an ongoing nationwide crackdown on the use of forged academic certificates to secure employment in public institutions.
The suspects , Joshua Attuah Omia and Thomas Mbonje Bandari of the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company Limited (NCWSC), and Silas Musasa Masambu of Kaimosi Friends University, are accused of presenting fake academic documents to fraudulently obtain jobs and salaries.
According to EACC investigations, Omia and Bandari allegedly forged Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) certificates, which they presented as genuine documents issued by the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) to secure employment at NCWSC.
The Commission says the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) approved charges against the two for forgery, uttering a false document, and fraudulent acquisition of public property amounting to KSh 5,909,037.10 and KSh 9,485,177.96, respectively — funds alleged to be salaries paid during their employment.
The two were arrested on 11 May 2026 and arraigned before the Milimani Anti-Corruption Court, where they denied the charges. They were each released on a cash bail of KSh 300,000 or a bond of KSh 1 million with a surety of the same amount. The case will be mentioned for directions on 26 May 2026.
In a separate case, EACC established that Silas Musasa Masambu allegedly used forged academic credentials, including a Diploma certificate purportedly from the Kenya College of Commerce and a Bachelor of Business Administration degree allegedly from Zetech University, to secure employment at Kaimosi Friends University.
Masambu was arrested at his home in Cheptulu, Vihiga County, and processed at Kakamega Police Station. He is expected to be arraigned in the Kakamega Law Courts on 13 May 2026.
He faces similar charges of forgery, uttering a false document, and fraudulent acquisition of public property amounting to Sh2,511,672, being salaries allegedly paid by the university.
The EACC has intensified efforts to weed out fake academic credentials in public service, warning that all cases under investigation will be forwarded for prosecution upon completion.
