A former Revenue Officer at Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company Limited has been convicted and sentenced after being found guilty of using forged academic credentials to secure employment and unlawfully benefit from public funds.
In a statement on Thursday, June 11, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) said the conviction follows investigations which uncovered a scheme in which the former employee allegedly used fake academic qualifications to obtain a position at the company and earn salary and benefits over several years.
"Mr. Okandah William John was convicted by the Milimani Anti-Corruption Court on multiple counts of forgery, uttering a false document, deceiving a principal, and fraudulent acquisition of public property.
"Investigations conducted by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) established that Mr. Okandah secured employment at the public utility company using a forged Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting Option) degree purportedly issued by the University of Nairobi. As a result, he unlawfully received Ksh4,749,597 in salary and benefits during his period of employment," the statement read.
In delivering its judgment, the court noted that ethical conduct remains a key pillar in protecting public resources and maintaining public trust in government institutions.
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"In a judgment delivered on 28 May 2026, the Court underscored the importance of integrity in public service, noting that honesty and adherence to ethical principles are essential in safeguarding public resources and promoting accountability," the statement added.
The court further observed that integrity is not only a moral requirement but also a practical safeguard against corruption, fraud, and inefficiency within public institutions.
"The Court observed that integrity plays a critical role in reducing fraud, corruption, and legal disputes, thereby easing the burden on the justice system and enabling public institutions to function more effectively and efficiently," the statement further read.
Following the conviction, the court imposed financial penalties equivalent to the amount unlawfully acquired, alongside additional fines tied to the remaining offences.
The sentence also provides for imprisonment should the fines not be paid.
"On 3 June 2026, Hon. Celesa Okare sentenced the accused to pay a mandatory fine equivalent to the amount fraudulently acquired, Ksh4,749,597, or serve two years’ imprisonment in default. The Court further imposed fines of Kes100,000 for each of the remaining counts, with a default sentence of 12 months’ imprisonment.
"The sentences are to run concurrently, bringing the total financial penalty to Ksh5,049,597, or a five-year custodial sentence in default," the statement concluded.
This comes a month after a plumber employed by the Nairobi Water was arrested for using a fake KCSE certificate he forged 29 years ago to secure a job.
In a statement released on Wednesday, May 13, by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), the water artisan was charged in court for earning a total of Ksh5.9 million in salaries using the forged document.
The employee was presented at the Milimani Anti-Corruption Court, alongside the document he forged in 1997, and was charged with fraudulent acquisition of public property, among other charges.
"The court heard that from August 2015 to December 31, 2023, while working as an artisan at Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company Limited, the accused illegally obtained public money, totalling KSh 5,909,037.10, which was his salary earned after getting hired with a fake KCSE certificate that he claimed was issued by KNEC and that the company used to hire him.
"He was charged in Milimani Anti-Corruption Court with the offences of fraudulent acquisition of public property, forgery, uttering a false document, deceiving a principal, and presentation of a forged certificate," the statement read in part.
The DPP also charged the accused with deceiving the principal and presenting a forged document to gain employment.
According to the DPP, he presented a KCSE certificate purported to be from the Kenya National Examination Council, showing that he had attained a mean grade of C plain.
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