NAIROBI, Kenya — The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has summoned Kisumu City Manager Michael Abala Wanga to appear at the Integrity Centre in Nairobi to face charges linked to forgery and fraudulent acquisition of public funds.
In a statement issued on Thursday, EACC Chief Executive Officer Abdi Mohamud confirmed that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has granted consent for Wanga to be charged with multiple corruption-related offences.
According to investigators, Wanga allegedly used forged academic certificates to secure his appointment as Kisumu City Manager.
The commission further accuses him of using falsified documents to facilitate the travel and payment of allowances for a woman who accompanied him to Lagos, Nigeria, in July 2024, despite not being an employee of the County Government of Kisumu.
“Being the City Manager of Kisumu, he used forged documents to facilitate travel and payment of allowances for a female non-staff member who accompanied him on official duty to Lagos, Nigeria, from 8th to 12th July 2024, disguised as an employee of the County Government of Kisumu,” EACC said.
The anti-graft body says the irregular facilitation led to improper expenditure of county funds, implicating Wanga in offences including forgery, fraudulent acquisition of public property, uttering false documents, and presentation of forged certificates.
“The Commission hereby directs Mr. Michael Abala Wanga… to present himself at EACC Headquarters, Integrity Centre, Nairobi, immediately for processing and arraignment,” EACC stated.
This development follows the conclusion of an investigation launched earlier this year. In March, EACC forwarded its findings to the DPP after reviewing a petition claiming that Wanga’s primary and secondary school certificates were falsified.
A letter from the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) dated January 27, 2022, confirmed that the academic documents attributed to Wanga were not authentic.
Wanga is expected to be arraigned once he presents himself to investigators, marking the latest high-profile corruption case to rock county administrations.
