The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has ordered all public institutions to stop processing and paying terminal dues to public officers resigning or proceeding on early retirement to evade investigations into cases of forgery of academic certificates.
The move, if implemented, will affect employees in both national and county governments.
"It has come to the attention of the Commission that some public institutions have allowed public officers with cases of forged academic and professional certificates to resign or proceed on early retirement and processed payment of terminal benefits without following the law. To this end, the Commission advises that all accounting/authorized officers should not process benefits including; pensions or unpaid allowances and accrued leave to persons found to have used fraudulent academic qualifications to gain employment in the public service," EACC CEO Twalib Mbarak said in a circular dated March 11, 2024.
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The antigraft watchdog has also advised public institutions to undertake verification of academic and professional certificates of all public officers serving in the respective institutions.
"All cases of forged academic and professional certificates should be submitted to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission for further action in accordance with the law," Mbarak added.
This comes even as EACC engages in a crackdown to root out employees in public service who gained employment through forged certificates.
EACC says the payments, in some cases, are done hastily through collusion between the academic cheats and their accounting officers.
"It is further advised that the salaries, allowances and benefits earned by public officers who secured employment using forged academic and professional certificates is recoverable in full," Mbarak added.
Ward administrator arrested
This comes days after EACC arrested the ward administrator for Marsabit Central Halkano Dabasso on February 26 for allegedly having fake academic certificates.
According to investigations by EACC, the suspect used a forged Diploma in Community Development and Social Work, and a KCSE Certificate to fraudulently gain employment in Marsabit County Government where he has been working since 2018. The Diploma is purported to have been issued by the Thika Institute of Business Studies.
EACC spokesperson Eric Ngumbi said that besides charging the County Official, EACC will recover and return to the Government all the salaries and benefits that the ward administrator has earned based on the fake certificates over the years.
"The arrest came after ODPP concurred with recommendations of the Commission to charge the ward administrator with the following offences; one count of Fraudulent acquisition of public property contrary to section 45(1)(a) as read with section 48(1) of ACECA, one count of deceiving principal contrary to section 412 as read with as read with section 48(1) of ACECA and two counts of Forgery contrary to section 345 as read with section 349 of the Penal code," Ngumbi said.
The suspect was also charged with two counts of uttering a false document contrary to section 353 as read with section 349 of the Penal Code.
Official with forged cerificates
In December 2023, EACC called for the suspension of Roads Superintendent Engineer Kenneth Kamumu Mugo over forgery-related charges.
In a letter addressed to Roads Principal Secretary (PS) Engineer Joseph Mbugua, the anti-graft agency alleged that Mugo has been using forged certificates to secure employment.
The commission also accused Mugo of fraudulently acquiring public property and uttering a false document contrary to section 352 of the constitution.
“The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has written to the Principal Secretary, Ministry of Roads and Transport requiring him to suspend ‘Engineer’ Kenneth Kamumbu Mugo, currently Superintendent Engineer of Roads, at the State Department of Roads in the Ministry of Roads and Transport, who the Commission found to have forged his Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering purporting it to be issued by the University of Nairobi in 2006,” the commission said.
According to the commission which now seeks administrative action against Mugo, the forgery allegations against Mugo were first reported in 2016.
