Karen Nyamu alleges helping supporter forge KCSE certificate to join police service

Nominated Senator Karen Nyamu has revealed that she once helped forge a Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) certificate for a staunch political supporter to secure entry into the National Police Service, saying she wanted to reward those who campaigned for her.

The controversial senator said she encountered the challenge of supporters lacking secondary school qualifications in 2017, after an unsuccessful political bid that was followed by her appointment as a director at Nairobi Water.

Nyamu said she had wanted to help members of her campaign team, most of whom came from informal settlements, secure employment opportunities after advertisements for jobs were circulated.

“My team, the people who had been campaigning for me, are mostly from the slums, so I wanted to reward them because there was an advertisement for jobs. So I forwarded to them, apply for this, then they couldn’t because they did not have Form Four certificates,” she said during an interview on Radio Generation. 

“That was the first time I encountered such a situation; these young people don’t have Form Four qualifications.”

Nyamu further recounted an incident at the time in which she attempted to help a staunch supporter, aged about 28 or 29, join the police service despite lacking a Form Four certificate.

“I can even tell you of a recent case where I tried to help someone get into the police force, a very staunch campaigner of mine; they are even known. They were, I think, 28, 29 years na hawana Form Four cert. Tukakarabati (we forged) a Form Four certificate, because I had this chance and I really had to give back,” she said.

The Senator said the individual proceeded to Kiganjo Police Training College but was later caught up in investigations into forged academic documents.

“Do you know walienda Kiganjo for training, kidogo kidogo, kumbe investigations are usually done, we didn’t know, do you know alinipigia simu akiwa police station,” she recounted.

“And the way everyone was happy…but so and so walishikwa because of forgery. Wote ambao walikua na fake papers wakatolewa, they were about 18.”

Nyamu said the incident highlighted the difficulties faced by young people who lack secondary school qualifications, including young mothers seeking to advance their education and skills.

The lawmaker, who is seeking the Nairobi Woman Rep seat, thus implored young mothers to obtain Form Four certificates before enrolling in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions.