Crackdown on Fake Academic Credentials Intensifies as Three Face Legal Action

Three employees of the Sports, Arts and Social Development Funds (SASDF) have been arraigned at the Milimani Law Courts for forgery-related offenses following comprehensive investigations.

The suspects, John Onyango Odhiambo, 44, Adan Bagajo Lamma, 44, and George Ereng Lotieng, 35, were charged with forgery, making a document without authority, and uttering a false document.

Odhiambo, Lamma, and Lotieng, who were employed as drivers, allegedly submitted fake academic certificates to secure employment and improve their pay grades.

Investigations revealed that Odhiambo used a falsified 2011 KCSE certificate from Starays Hope Community Center, Nairobi.

Lamma presented a counterfeit 1998 KCSE certificate from Marsabit Boys High School, despite dropping out in Form Two.

Similarly, Lotieng submitted a forged KCSE certificate from St. Marks Boys High School, Cherangany, also having dropped out in Form Two.

A report from the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) indicated that Odhiambo manipulated his grades to achieve a mean grade of D+ to meet the job qualification threshold.

Lamma’s certificate was invalid as the examination center did not exist during the 1998 KCSE exams, and Lotieng’s certificate was fraudulent as his stated examination center was non-existent as of 2010, with the code belonging to a different school.

The suspects were formally charged on Friday at the Milimani Law Courts.

This case highlights a broader issue within the public sector, with the Public Service Commission revealing that over 2,000 government employees are suspected of using forged academic and professional qualifications for job acquisition or promotion.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) is collaborating with other government agencies to further investigate these cases and ensure accountability.