Forgery case against former MTRH staff adjourned after witness fails to appear

This was after a key witness in the trial of Celestine Chepsoi Cherop failed to turn up before the Eldoret Chief Magistrate Peter Ndwiga as expected.

Cherop, who is out on bond, told the court that she was not ready to proceed with the matter until the said witness avails himself in court.

When the matter came up for hearing, the court was told that the said witness was not able to make it to court due to unavoidable circumstances and prayed for more time to prepare himself.

Cherop is charged with submitting fake academic and professional certificates to secure employment at the Eldoret-based public hospital where she earned more than Ksh. 7.1 million in salary.

She committed the said criminal offence between July 2026 and August 2025 at MTRH in Uasin Gishu County.

She denied the fraud-related charge during plea-taking.

Cherop is among 28 former employees the hospital is pursuing to recover more than Kshs. 100 million after discovering that they were hired after presenting fake academic and professional certificates.

The said former staff who held various middle-level positions were sent packing following a human resource audit that uncovered the use of forged documents to secure various jobs, promotions and financial benefits running into millions of shillings.

According to court documents, the said former employees are now facing criminal charges in various courts in the region.

When he appeared before an Eldoret court two weeks ago, the hospital’s director of finance, Mathew Birgen, revealed that the institution was pursuing individual recoveries, including a case involving a former staff member from whom more than Kshs. 6 million is being sought.

The amount is said to have been paid as salary over a period of more than 10 years before it was established that forged academic and professional certificates were used to gain employment.

Birgen informed the court that some of the dismissed employees were initially hired on contracts but were later absorbed on permanent and pensionable terms after presenting fake papers.

The case was adjourned until September 8, 2026.