The ruling was delivered on Tuesday, August 20, marking the end of a case which had exposed the dangers of loss of public trust.
A former employee of the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) has been directed by the Anti-Corruption Court in Nairobi to pay a fine of Ksh5 million or serve a jail term of eight years.
The ruling was delivered on Tuesday, August 20, marking the end of a case which had exposed the dangers of loss of public trust.
The ex-staffer, Zinje Juma Mwadama, was found to have fraudulently acquired academic certificates to secure employment at the institution and provided false information to a public entity.
Chief Magistrate Thomas Nzyoki thus handed down the sentence to Mwadama, which includes a fine of Ksh100,000 or 12 months imprisonment, in addition to a mandatory fine of Ksh4,746,834.38 in default or serving 5 years imprisonment, which is equivalent to the net salary he earned from KEPHIS for the offence of fraudulent acquisition of academic certificate.
Zinje Juma Mwadama, a former employee of the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS), in court on August 20, 2024. /ODPP
“Prosecuting Counsel Susan Keli established that between June 26, 2013, and April 24, 2021, Mwadama, while employed as an Assistant Inspector II, fraudulently acquired a public property to wit Ksh. 4,746,834.38 from KEPHIS, which was his monthly salary,” a statement from the Office of The Director Of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) read in part.
Chief Magistrate Thomas Nzyoki also sentenced Mwadama to a fine of Ksh200,000 or to serve 2 years imprisonment on two counts of providing false information to a public entity, contrary to Section 46(1)(d) as read with Section 46(2) of the Leadership and Integrity Act, 2012 Laws of Kenya.
On February 8, 2013, at KEPHIS, Mwadama was revealed to have provided false information on his employment application form.
In particular, he claimed to have a Diploma in Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development from Baraka Agricultural College and a Certificate in Agriculture with Distinction from Kilifi Institute of Agriculture claims he knew were false, intending to secure employment.
Magistrate Nzyoki ruled that all sentences will run consecutively from the date of judgment on July 30, 2024.
The latest development underscores the government’s commitment to upholding integrity across all institutions, with the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) at the forefront in terms of weeding out current and former government employees found to have forged their academic credentials.
On February 15 this year, EACC announced that it would conduct investigations on claims that some state agencies had been protecting officers accused of forging academic certificates to obtain well-paying jobs.
The anti-corruption watchdog had at the time warned that it would take action against any head of state agency who refuses to alert the body of persons wielding fake academic certificates.
“The Commission is analyzing the PSC (Public Service Commission) Report on Authentication of Academic and Professional Certificates to inform relevant enforcement action against the 2,000 public officials who forged their academic certificates to secure employment.
“The Commission will also investigate allegations it has received to the effect that some public entities didn’t forward to the Public Service Commission all the names of their officers with forged certificates. Action will be taken against any culpable head of a state agency involved in attempts to protect academic cheats,” stated EACC in part.
PSC Chairperson Anthony Muchiri had disclosed beforehand that over 2,000 public officers secured jobs, promotions, and re-designations using fake academic papers.
“According to the reports received by the Commission, there are substantial cases of forged academic and professional certificates used for the award of appointments, promotions, or re-designation in the public service,” Muchiri stated.
According to PSC, at least 331 institutions were targeted in the probe, of which 52 were ministries, State Departments, and Agencies.
EACC offices at Integrity Centre in Nairobi. /FILE
