A former Revenue Collection Assistant at Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company (NCWSC) has been convicted and fined over Ksh5 million after a court found he used forged academic certificate to secure employment and illegally earn public funds.
The conviction follows investigations by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), which established that Okandah William John used a falsified Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting Option) degree, allegedly from the University of Nairobi, to obtain a job at the utility firm.
According to investigators, the suspect presented the fake certificate during recruitment, enabling him to be hired as a Revenue Collection Assistant and subsequently draw a salary and benefits for years.
The EACC later forwarded the file to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), who approved multiple charges including fraudulent acquisition of public property, forgery, uttering a false document, and deceiving a principal. The fraudulent acquisition charge covered Ksh 4,749,597, being the total salary and benefits he unlawfully received during his period of employment.
The suspect was arrested on June 16, 2025, and later arraigned before the Milimani Anti-Corruption Court. On June 3, 2026, Senior Principal Magistrate Celesa Asis Okore convicted him on several counts and imposed financial penalties.
In a statement, the EACC said, “Mr. Okandah William John was convicted by the Milimani Anti-Corruption Court on multiple counts of forgery, uttering a false document, deceiving a principal, and fraudulent acquisition of public property.”
“Investigations conducted by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) established that Mr. Okandah secured employment at the public utility company using a forged Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting Option) degree purportedly issued by the University of Nairobi. As a result, he unlawfully received Ksh4,749,597 in salary and benefits during his period of employment,” the statement added.
Delivering judgment, the court emphasized the importance of integrity in public service, noting that ethical conduct is central to protecting public resources.
“The Court observed that integrity plays a critical role in reducing fraud, corruption, and legal disputes, thereby easing the burden on the justice system and enabling public institutions to function more effectively and efficiently,” the statement further read.
On sentencing, the court imposed fines equivalent to the amount unlawfully obtained, alongside penalties for the remaining offences.
“On 3 June 2026, Hon. Celesa Okare sentenced the accused to pay a mandatory fine equivalent to the amount fraudulently acquired, Ksh4,749,597, or serve two years’ imprisonment in default. The Court further imposed fines of Kes100,000 for each of the remaining counts, with a default sentence of 12 months’ imprisonment. The sentences are to run concurrently, bringing the total financial penalty to Ksh5,049,597, or a five-year custodial sentence in default,” the statement concluded.
The ruling comes amid increased scrutiny of employment fraud in public institutions. In a related case, a Nairobi Water plumber was recently arrested after allegedly using a fake KCSE certificate forged decades earlier to secure employment, highlighting ongoing concerns over document verification in hiring processes.
