A former Deputy Director of Audit at the Office of the Auditor General has been charged over allegations that she used a forged university degree certificate to secure employment and rise through the ranks in the public service.
In a statement on Friday, August 7, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) said Hannah Wambui Mwaura was arrested following investigations over the alleged use of fraudulent academic qualifications, with the commission claiming she unlawfully earned more than Ksh28 million in salaries during her tenure.
"The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) arrested the suspect on 4 August 2026 and booked her at the Integrity Centre Police Station before releasing her on a police cash bail of Kes100,000 pending arraignment," the statement read.
According to EACC, investigations established that the Office of the Auditor General advertised the position of Assistant Manager – Audit in July 2013, requiring applicants to have at least eight years of audit experience, a Bachelor's degree from a recognized university, a Master of Business Administration or a related qualification, as well as professional accounting credentials.
The agency said its investigations found that Mwaura submitted a forged Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting Option), Second Class Honours (Upper Division) degree certificate, purportedly issued by Mount Kenya University on August 20, 2010, in support of her application.
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EACC alleged that the document enabled her to secure the position and later earn promotion to Deputy Director of Audit.
It further claimed she received Ksh28,468,754.14 in salaries between February 3, 2013 and May 23, 2024 through the alleged fraudulent employment.
According to investigators, further inquiries established that when Mwaura presented the degree certificate during the recruitment process, she was still pursuing the Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting Option) programme at Mount Kenya University and had not yet graduated.
"Upon conclusion of investigations, the Commission forwarded the investigation file to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), who approved charges of Forgery, Uttering a False Document, Deceiving a Principal and Fraudulent Acquisition of Public Property against the suspect," the statement added.
The suspect was arraigned before the Milimani Anti-Corruption Court, where she pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
The court released her on a cash bail of Ksh450,000 or a bond of Ksh1 million with a surety of a similar amount as the case proceeds.
"The Commission will institute civil proceedings to recover salaries and benefits unlawfully obtained through fraudulent academic qualifications," the statement concluded.
This comes weeks after a former Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company (NCWSC) Revenue Collection Officer was fined Ksh4.7 million after being found guilty of securing employment using a forged university degree certificate.
In a statement on Wednesday, July 8, EACC said the accused, Okandah William John, forged a Bachelor of Commerce degree certificate purportedly issued by the University of Nairobi.
Okandah then used the fake degree certificate to secure employment at Nairobi Water.
"Investigations by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) established that Okandah William John forged a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting Option) degree certificate purportedly issued by the University of Nairobi and used it to secure employment at NCWSC," read the statement in part.
According to EACC, Okandah unlawfully earned Ksh4,749,597 in salaries between September 3, 2016, and November 30, 2023.
The former Nairobi Water employee was found guilty by the Milimani Anti-Corruption Court and ordered to pay a fine of Ksh4,749,597 or serve two years in jail in default.
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