Former Auditor General’s office staffer arrested over fake academic certificate

Detectives from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) have arrested a former employee of the Office of the Auditor General as part of an ongoing crackdown on the use of forged academic certificates.

The suspect, Mercy Akinyi Ofuwa, is accused of using a forged Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) certificate to secure employment at the Auditor General’s office.

Investigations by EACC established that Ofuwa allegedly forged KCSE academic documents purportedly from Umina Secondary School and successfully used them in her application for employment.

The anti-graft agency said the matter was forwarded to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) upon completion of investigations.

The ODPP approved charges of forgery, uttering a false document and fraudulent acquisition of public property amounting to Ksh.5,838,790, being salaries allegedly earned by the suspect during her employment.

The suspect was released on a cash bail of Ksh.50,000 pending arraignment in court.

The commission further indicated that it will institute civil proceedings to recover all salaries and benefits allegedly earned using the fake academic qualifications.

The arrest comes amid an intensified crackdown by the EACC on academic fraud and the use of forged certificates in public service.

On Thursday, the commission challenged universities, colleges, examination bodies and regulators to tighten their academic qualification systems amid fears of a rise in forged certificates ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Speaking during a capacity building workshop for the County Assembly of Bungoma held in Kisumu on Thursday, EACC CEO Abdi A. Mohamud, in remarks delivered on his behalf by Western Regional Manager Eric Ngumbi, warned institutions against colluding with individuals seeking to fraudulently acquire academic certificates to qualify for nomination to elective positions without undertaking the required courses or attaining the necessary qualifications.

“Let me comment on an issue of great interest to the commission. This is the prevailing challenge of forgery of academic certificates, a problem that often intensifies in the periods leading up to general elections,” said Mohamud.

“During this time, individuals seeking elective positions without the requisite academic qualifications may seek shortcuts to qualify for nominations and clearance to contest elections.”