A two-year investigation into an alleged forged KCSE certificate has ended with the arrest of a 54-year-old man in Changamwe, Mombasa County.
Awange Oscar Akoth was arrested by detectives after investigations linked him to the alleged forgery and use of a fraudulent Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) certificate in connection with his employment at the Kenya Railways Corporation.
The case began after Kenya Railways started an exercise to authenticate academic and professional certificates presented by its employees.
During the verification process, Akoth’s KCSE certificate was flagged for further examination.The certificate was purportedly issued by the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) in 1993.
However, further checks by KNEC established that certificate number 624785 had been forged.According to investigators, the certificate contained changes to the grades in three subjects.
The grades were allegedly altered from D (Plain) to C (Plain). The mean grade was also reportedly changed from D+ (Plus) to C (Plain).
The findings prompted detectives to conduct further investigations into how the certificate had been obtained and used.
After completing their inquiries, the case file was forwarded to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) for directions.
The ODPP reviewed the evidence and directed that Akoth face charges of Uttering a False Document under Section 353 of the Penal Code.
He is also expected to face a charge of Fraudulent Acquisition of Public Property under Section 45(1)(a) of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act (ACECA).
Akoth was not immediately arrested after the investigations were completed and remained at large as detectives continued efforts to locate him.
Detectives eventually traced him to Mombasa County. Their search led them to Changamwe, where they arrested him yesterday.
The arrest brings to an end the search for Akoth as investigators move to complete the necessary procedures before he is taken to court.
He is currently being processed by detectives and is expected to be arraigned before the Milimani Law Courts, where he will face the charges linked to the alleged forged certificate.
The case is likely to draw attention to the importance of academic certificate verification, particularly in public institutions where qualifications are used to determine eligibility for employment and other opportunities.
Add Comment