Kenya Government Seeking to Recover Salary Paid to Manager Who Used Fake Papers to Secure Job

A woman accused of securing a government job using fake academic certificates has been arraigned in court.

Lilian Akoth Ochieng, a former procurement assistant manager at the Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation (REREC), appeared before Chief Magistrate Peter Gesora of Kisumu law courts.

She was charged with forgery, fraudulent acquisition of public property (salary), and violation of the Leadership and Integrity Act, 2012.

Investigations done by Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) established that she forged her Diploma in Management Purchasing and Supplies and her certificate in Purchasing and Supplies Management to secure a job at the State agency.

The court heard that the accused applied for the job by filling a biodata form where she indicated that she holds a diploma from the Kenya Institute of Management (KIM). Akoth allegedly submitted the same fake papers to REREC on February 1st, 2018.

The court was told that Akoth earned a total of Sh81,719 for May 2018 and June 2018 before the authenticity of her academic documents raised alarm.

The State has applied to have the accused person compelled to refund the money paid to her for the two months she worked at REREC.

Akoth denied the charges and was freed on a bond of Sh200,000 with a surety of a similar amount. The case will be heard on July 20th, 2021.