The noose tightens on public officers with fake academic papers

31:10:2024: As part of the ongoing crackdown on fake academic and professional certificates in the country, the EACC today arraigned the former Director for MSE Strategy, Planning, and Coordination at the Micro and Small Enterprises Authority before the Milimani Anti-Corruption Court.

Before Hon. Harrison Barasa, Francis Njiru Mfundi was charged with fraudulent acquisition of public property, forgery, and uttering a false document.

The Court heard that Mr. Mfundi used a forged Bachelor of Arts (Economics) Degree Certificate from the University of Nairobi and a Strategic Leadership and Development Programme Certificate from the Kenya School of Government to secure employment at the Micro and Small Enterprises (MSE) Authority.

EACC seeks to, in charge 1, recover Kes1,138, 348 that Mr. Mfundi received in salaries that he received from the MSE Authority.

Three other suspects, including former Assistant Elections Officer at the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Edna Bitange Kemunto, and former staff of the Commission on Revenue Allocation Mark Sandui Chebitwey and Brenda Nelly Sulungai, Community Development assistant at Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company, were also arraigned alongside Mr. Mfundi on similar charges.

Mrs. Kemunto, the Court was told, used a forged Degree certificate in Bachelor of Business Information and Management from Egerton University to seek promotion from grade 8 to grade 7. Mr. Chebitwey forged a Kenya Certificate of Secondary Examination (KCSE) to secure employment, while Mrs. Sulungai submitted a forged Diploma Certificate in Community Development and Social Work to her employer, purporting it to be a genuine certificate issued by Zetech University

They pleaded not guilty to the various charges preferred against them and were released on different bond terms. Mr Mfundi was released on a cash bail of Kes500,000 or a bond of Kes1 million with a surety of a similar amount.

Mr. Sandui was released on a cash bail of Kes200,000 or a bond of Kes800,000 with a surety of a similar amount. Brenda Sulungai and Edna Bitange were released on a cash bail of Kes100,000 or a bond of kes500,000 with sureties of similar amounts each.

Their cases will be mentioned on November 14, 2024.