Nairobi Water employees among three officials arrested over fake academic certificates

Detectives from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) have arrested three officials in an ongoing crackdown on the use of forged academic certificates to secure employment in public institutions.

The three, two employees of the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company, namely Joshua Attuah Omia and Thomas Mbonje Bandari and an official from Kaimosi Friends University, Silas Musasa Masambu, were arrested over alleged use of fake academic documents.

In the first case of NCWSC employees, the pair was arrested on Monday and later arraigned before the Milimani Anti-Corruption Court.

According to EACC, investigations established that Omia and Bandari forged Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) certificates and presented them as genuine documents purportedly issued by the Kenya National Examinations Council to secure employment at the water company.

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) thereafter approved charges of forgery, uttering a false document and fraudulent acquisition of public property.

EACC further stated that the two allegedly fraudulently acquired Ksh.5,909,037.10 and Ksh.9,485,177.96, respectively, in salaries paid by Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company.

They denied all charges and were each released on a cash bail of Ksh.300,000 or a bond of Ksh.1 million with a surety of a similar amount. The case will be mentioned on May 26, 2026, for directions.

In the separate case, EACC said Masambu allegedly forged a diploma certificate purportedly from Kenya College of Commerce and a Bachelor of Business Administration degree purportedly from Zetech University to secure employment at Kaimosi Friends University.

He was nabbed at his home in Cheptulu, Vihiga County and processed at Kakamega Police Station ahead of his arraignment at the Kakamega Law Courts on May 13, 2026.

Masambu is facing charges of forgery, uttering a false document and fraudulent acquisition of public property amounting to Ksh.2,511,672, which investigators say was paid to him as salary by Kaimosi Friends University.