A diploma believed to be genuine has landed an Eldoret college director in police custody after investigations revealed it was allegedly forged, leaving a graduate without a job and exposing what detectives say was a false claim of university affiliation used to attract students.
Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) arrested Philip Kipsoi Kiyeng, the director of Region Group College in Eldoret, over allegations of issuing forged academic certificates while allegedly misleading students that the institution was affiliated with Moi University.
The investigations began after the Public Service Commission (PSC) raised concerns during the verification of academic and professional documents submitted by a job applicant.
According to detectives, Kiyeng is accused of presenting Region Group College as being affiliated with Moi University, a claim that allegedly convinced one student to enrol for a Diploma in Business Management.
After successfully completing the programme, the student received a diploma which he believed was valid and later submitted it to his employer as part of his academic qualifications.
The document, however, came under scrutiny during a routine verification exercise conducted by the Public Service Commission, which established that the diploma was forged. The finding led to the graduate losing his job.
In a statement, the DCI said, "Investigations established that the suspect allegedly misrepresented the college as being affiliated with Moi University, thereby inducing a victim to enrol for a Diploma in Business Management."
The agency added that "during the verification exercise, the diploma was confirmed to be a forgery, leading to the victim's dismissal from employment."
After concluding investigations, detectives forwarded the case file to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), which approved several charges against the suspect.
Among the charges approved is making a false document contrary to Section 347(a) as read with Section 349 of the Penal Code, alongside other offences.
The suspect was arrested in Eldoret Town and is currently undergoing processing before being presented in court.
The DCI has urged members of the public to confirm the accreditation and legitimacy of learning institutions before enrolling for any course to avoid falling victim to similar schemes.
The agency also called on anyone with information relating to academic certificate fraud to report the matter at the nearest police station or through the #FichuaKwaDCI reporting channels.