A Former Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company employee has been fined Ksh14.6 million after being convicted of defrauding the public utility company.
In a statement released by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) on Friday, August 29, the Nairobi Anti-Corruption Court convicted Lawrence Masinde Barasa of fraudulently acquiring public funds amounting to Ksh7,123,963 using a forged academic certificate.
The judgment was delivered by Nairobi Anti-Corruption Principal Magistrate Hon. Charles Ondieki, who found Barasa guilty on three counts: fraudulent acquisition of public property, uttering a false document, and deceiving a principal.
The court heard detailed evidence of how Barasa had forged a Diploma in Information Technology certificate purportedly issued by Eldoret Polytechnic, which he strategically used to secure employment at NCWSC.
Through this ill-gotten position, Barasa unlawfully obtained over Ksh7.1 million in
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In the ruling, Barasa was fined KSh100,000 for the first count of fraudulent acquisition of public property. Still, the court imposed a mandatory fine of Ksh14,347,926, equivalent to twice the amount illegally obtained, as provided for under Kenya's anti-corruption laws.
For uttering a false document, Barasa was fined Ksh100,000 or served one year in prison by default. For deceiving a principal, he received a similar fine of Ksh100,000 with a default sentence of one year's imprisonment.
"The court directed that all default sentences would run consecutively. Barasa was informed of his right to appeal both the conviction and the sentence within 14 days of the judgment date," the statement reads.
In a separate case, EACC arrested a senior Siaya County official over the embezzlement of KSh100 million.
Mr. Hezron Junior Opiyo, an accountant at the Department of Finance and Economic Planning, was arrested on Tuesday, August 26th, 2025, for allegedly embezzling funds through the payment of fraudulent and fictitious allowances.
This arrest follows a complaint of alleged embezzlement of approximately Ksh400 million by several Siaya County officials.
The suspect was held at Kisumu Port Police Station and was scheduled to be arraigned before the Kisumu Anti-Corruption Court on Wednesday, August 27th, 2025.
Alongside the criminal proceedings, EACC has initiated civil recovery of Ksh102,950,307.00, plus accrued interest, representing the total amount illegally obtained by the suspect.
