A suspect faces fraud charges for allegedly using a forged Diploma Certificate in Journalism and Mass Communication to secure a job with the Kenya Railways Corporation (KR).
The charges accuse Edward Ngugi Gatheru of forgery under section 345, as read with section 349 of the Penal Code. He allegedly forged the diploma on or before March 1, 2021, claiming it to be a legitimate certificate issued by NIBS Technical College without lawful authority and with intent to deceive.
Gatheru used the forged certificate to falsely claim that he held a Diploma in Journalism and Mass Communication, allowing him to gain employment with the state corporation.
He reportedly earned a gross monthly salary of Kes. 108,000. His salary included a basic pay of Kes. 65,450, plus a house allowance of Kes. 35,000 and a commuter allowance of Kes. 8,000 until July 2023.
The State now seeks to recover Kes. 1.95 million from Gatheru, reflecting the total salary he earned during his employment.
Diploma Verification Fails
KR dismissed Gatheru after the management of NIBS Technical College confirmed that the diploma he presented was not issued by them. He also faces an additional charge of uttering a false document, contrary to section 353 of the Penal Code, and has been charged with the fraudulent acquisition of public property, violating section 45 (1) as read with section 48 of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act (ACECA).
Gatheru allegedly presented the forged Diploma Certificate at the KR headquarters in Nairobi on March 1, 2021, claiming it to be genuine. He faces accusations of fraudulently acquiring Kes. 1,945,161.24, which he received as salary during his employment at KR using the forged document.
Kenya Railways initiated an inquiry by contacting NIBS Technical College to verify the authenticity of the certificate held by Gatheru and two other employees. The college confirmed that Gatheru studied there from 2011 to 2013 but did not receive the diploma he presented.
Following this revelation, KR escalated the matter to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI). The DCI found that although Gatheru completed his studies, he never sat for the required examinations, which meant he was never awarded a diploma certificate.
Investigators traced Gatheru and arrested him after concluding their inquiries. He appeared before Senior Principal Magistrate Douglas Mutiso at the Makadara Law Courts, where he denied the charges.
Gatheru received a bond of Kes. 1 million with a surety of the same amount or a cash bail option of Kes. 500,000. The case is set for mention on November 11, 2024, with the hearing scheduled to begin on April 29, 2025.
