The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has announced that the first individual targeted by the unit for allegedly utilizing counterfeit academic and professional credentials to secure positions and advancements within the public sector was presented before the Eldoret Law Courts on Thursday.
According to the DCI the man who was Identified as Joash Kimurgor Kirwa, had been sought in connection with the purported crime of Academic Certificate Forgery, as per DCI HQ INQ. 16 of 2024. They further mentioned that Kirwa’s apprehension occurred at Waitaluk within Trans Nzoia County.
” Subsequent investigations leading to his arrest uncovered Kirwa’s fabrication of a Moi University degree certificate and academic transcripts, which he purportedly employed to obtain employment within the Ministry of Education’s State Department for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET),” DCI stated.
Appearing before the Eldoret Law Courts, the jurisdiction where he was initially recruited, Kirwa faced five charges of forgery. He entered a plea of not guilty and was granted release on a cash bail of KES 200,000. The pre-trial hearing is slated for February 26, 2024.
This legal action emerges amidst an intensified effort to combat fraudulent activities within the public service. Notably, the Public Service Commission recently furnished a report to the DCI and Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) containing 1,280 instances of forged certificates across 91 public institutions, along with 787 cases from various ministries, state departments, and agencies.
