EACC secures convictions of two former IEBC officials over forged academic certificates

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has secured the convictions of two former employees of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) after they were found guilty of using forged academic certificates to secure employment and career advancement in the public service.

The convictions, delivered by the Milimani Anti-Corruption Court in separate cases, mark another milestone in the Commission’s ongoing efforts to protect the integrity of public sector recruitment and promotions.

In the first case, the court on July 2, 2026, convicted former IEBC Constituency Office Clerk Purity Mwaniki Wanja after adopting a plea bargain agreement.

According to investigations by the EACC, Wanja forged a Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) certificate purportedly issued by the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC), which she used to secure employment with the electoral commission in July 2012.

She pleaded guilty to three charges of fraudulent acquisition of public property, forgery, and presenting a forged document.

The court convicted her on her own plea of guilty and ordered her to pay a total of KSh1.6 million, comprising KSh1.5 million in compensation to the government and fines of KSh50,000 each for the forgery and presenting a forged certificate offences.

In a separate case concluded on June 29, 2026, the Milimani Anti-Corruption Court convicted Luka Mukimi Musamali, another former IEBC employee, for using a forged university degree certificate to obtain a promotion within the Commission.

EACC investigations established that Musamali presented a falsified Bachelor of Arts in Social Studies (Public Administration) degree certificate, purportedly issued by Moi University, to support his application for promotion from Constituency Office Clerk to Constituency Elections Assistant.

Following a full trial, the court found him guilty of deceiving a principal and uttering a false document but acquitted him on the charge of forgery. He was fined a total of KSh110,000, with custodial sentences prescribed in default of payment.

The anti-graft agency said the convictions demonstrate its commitment to safeguarding integrity in public service recruitment and career progression.

“The use of forged academic or professional certificates to secure public employment, promotions, or any other public benefit is a criminal offence,” the Commission said in a statement.

EACC reiterated that it will continue investigating and prosecuting individuals who obtain public jobs or benefits fraudulently through forged documents, saying such actions undermine accountability and integrity in public institutions.