Garisa Water Company boss arraignment deferred to early February
A Court in Garisa has today differed the plea taking of Dolal Mohamed Mohamud, the Managing Director of Garisa Water and Sewerage Company (GAWASCO) to 5th February, 2024 when he will be re-arraigned before a court with proper jurisdiction to handle anti-corruption matters.
Senior Resident Magistrate, Hon. Jackson Omwange in whose Court the matter was placed ruled that he did not have jurisdiction.
Mr. Mohamud was arrested yesterday, 25th February 2024 after investigations by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission officers revealed that he forged his Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) upon which he advanced his education.
The senior public officer, investigations revealed, scored a mean grade of D. He however altered it to C+ and used the forged KCSE certificate to enroll at the University of Nairobi for a Certificate in Purchasing and Supplies. He later used the said certificate, yet again to register for a Diploma in Public Relations.
It should be noted that according to the University of Nairobi admission requirements, the minimum qualification for a Certificate course is C- (minus) and C+ (plus) for Diploma all of Which Mr. Mohamud did not have. He later proceeded to Mt. Kenya University for a Bachelor of Arts in Development Studies using the Diploma certificate.
Mohamud, investigations revealed, joined GAWASCO in February 2007 as a Billing Clerk. He was appointed Human Resource and Administration Manager on 1st December 2015. On 12th March 2020, he was moved to head the Corporate Affairs and two years later, in August 2022, he was appointed Ag. Managing Director. He was confirmed to the position in September 2023.
He was arraigned on a total of four counts; first two on fraudulent acquisition of public property and forgery respectively, and the last two on uttering a false document. On the first charge, Mr. Mohamud is accused of fraudulently acquiring Kes12, 987, 290 in salaries having uttered a false Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education upon which GAWASCO relied to employ him for 14 years, from 2010 to 2023.
For the second charge, the Managing Director of GAWASCO is accused of forging a Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education number 563053, Index Number 801101/51 with Mean Grade C+ (Plus) from Garisa High School purporting it to be a genuine certificate issued to him by the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC).
He is also accused of knowingly and fraudulently uttering a KCSE Certificate to the Managing Director GAWASCO in 2007 purporting it to be a genuine certificate for consideration of a position of Billing Clerk. Lastly, he is accused of knowingly and fraudulently uttering a KCSE Certificate on unknown date to the Dean, School of Continuing Distance Learning, University of Nairobi purporting it to be a genuine certificate.
He was released on initial police bail terms of Kes200, 000 cash bail or a personal bond of Kes500, 000 until 5th February 2024 when he returns before a Court with anti-corruption jurisdiction to take plea a fresh.
