Man Arrested in Mombasa After Two-Year Probe Into Forged KCSE Certificate

A 54-year-old man has been arrested in Changamwe, Mombasa County, following a two-year investigation into allegations that he forged and used a fake KCSE certificate to secure employment at Kenya Railways Corporation.

Detectives arrested Awange Oscar Akoth after tracing him to Mombasa, where he had reportedly been evading investigators since the inquiry began.

The case emerged after Kenya Railways launched an exercise to verify the academic and professional certificates submitted by its employees. During the process, Akoth’s KCSE certificate was flagged for further examination.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said the document, which was purportedly issued by the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC), was subjected to official verification.

“KNEC subsequently confirmed that certificate number 624785, purportedly issued in 1993, had been forged,” investigators said.

Further inquiries allegedly revealed that the grades appearing on the certificate had been altered. Three subjects were reportedly changed from D (Plain) to C (Plain), while the overall mean grade was allegedly increased from D+ (Plus) to C (Plain).

After completing investigations, detectives forwarded the case file to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) for further directions.

Following a review of the evidence, the ODPP directed that Akoth face charges of Uttering a False Document under Section 353 of the Penal Code and Fraudulent Acquisition of Public Property under Section 45(1)(a) of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act (ACECA).

“Upon reviewing the evidence, the ODPP directed that the suspect be charged with Uttering a False Document and Fraudulent Acquisition of Public Property,” the investigators stated.

Detectives subsequently mounted a search for Akoth after he failed to present himself to authorities. Their efforts eventually led them to Changamwe, where he was arrested.

The suspect is currently being processed by detectives and is expected to be presented before the Milimani Law Courts to face the charges.

The investigation highlights ongoing efforts by public institutions and law enforcement agencies to verify academic qualifications and crack down on individuals suspected of using fraudulent documents to obtain employment or public resources.

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