A Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company worker was on Tuesday ordered to pay Sh8.5 million after being found guilty of using a forged KCSE certificate to secure his position.
Milimani Anti-Corruption Court ruled that Felix Ojwang Balamu fraudulently received Sh8.24 million in public salaries, marking a major win for the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) in its drive to safeguard public resources and promote accountability in Kenya’s public service.
Investigations by the EACC revealed that Balamu submitted a counterfeit KCSE certificate, claiming it was genuine from the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC), when he applied for employment in 2011.
The commission confirmed, “Investigations by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission revealed that Balamu used a fake academic certificate purporting it to be genuine from KNEC to obtain his job in 2011.”
The court found Balamu guilty on multiple charges, including fraudulent acquisition of public property, deceiving a principal, and presenting a forged certificate.
In her ruling, Judge Selesa Okore ordered fines totaling Sh8,543,562, an amount equal to the salary Balamu had unlawfully received.
This conviction comes as the Public Service Commission (PSC) reports that over 2,000 public officers have used fake academic or professional documents to gain employment, promotions, or reassignments across 331 government institutions.
In one verification exercise, 1,280 forged certificates were detected out of 53,599 cases submitted to KNEC by 91 institutions.
The EACC disclosed that since 2022, it has investigated 549 cases of fraudulent academic and professional credentials. Of these, 85 files have been forwarded for prosecution, and 13 convictions recorded.
The 2023-24 national audit further revealed that among 168,000 officers across 358 institutions, 859 individuals held fake academic certificates, while 160 had fraudulent professional credentials.
These findings highlight the widespread nature of certificate forgery, affecting state departments, parastatals, county governments, and higher education institutions.
Following the ruling, the EACC emphasized its ongoing commitment to integrity and merit in public service, stating, “This judgment reaffirms EACC’s commitment to protecting public resources and upholding integrity in public service.”
The commission has been actively investigating cases of academic fraud, ghost workers, and forged credentials in the public sector, with arrests and convictions serving as deterrents against misuse of public offices.
By ordering fines equivalent to the amount unlawfully earned, the court reinforced the principle that corruption in public service results in both punishment and full recovery of misappropriated funds.
The EACC also urged all government agencies to conduct rigorous background checks and academic verifications to curb future incidents of forgery.
The case of Felix Ojwang Balamu underscores that academic dishonesty and fraudulent acquisition of public property are serious offenses under Kenyan law, punishable by hefty fines or imprisonment.
By enforcing the court ruling, both the judiciary and the EACC have made it clear that no public officer is above the law, regardless of tenure or rank.
The commission continues to call on citizens to report fraud and corruption through official channels, reinforcing transparency and accountability across all public institutions.
