A former Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company Limited (NCWSC) employee has been charged with forging academic credentials to obtain employment and illegally earning over KSh6.2 million in salaries and benefits.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) on Thursday arraigned Ms. Asembo Babra Gladys before the Milimani Anti-Corruption Court, accusing her of using a forged Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) certificate to secure employment at the utility firm.
According to EACC, Ms. Asembo fraudulently earned a total of KSh6,236,053.10 from NCWSC during her tenure, funds the Commission says were obtained under false pretenses after she used falsified academic qualifications to get hired.
She now faces multiple criminal charges, including fraudulent acquisition of public property, deceiving a principal, forgery, and uttering a false document—all serious offences under the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act (2003) and the Penal Code.
EACC investigators established that the KCSE certificate Ms. Asembo presented when applying for the ICT Assistant position was falsified but appeared to be a genuine document issued by the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC). The investigations followed a complaint lodged by whistleblowers alleging that she had secured the job using fake academic papers.
“Upon receiving the complaint, the Commission initiated investigations which confirmed that the suspect had indeed used a forged KCSE certificate to gain employment,” EACC said in a statement. “The findings were forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), who reviewed the file and approved criminal charges.”
The Court Proceedings
During her appearance before the Milimani Anti-Corruption Court, Ms. Asembo pleaded not guilty to all charges. The prosecution detailed how she allegedly used falsified academic credentials to obtain employment and unlawfully benefit from salary payments totaling more than six million shillings over several years.
She was released on a bond of KSh1 million with two sureties of a similar amount, pending the hearing of the case. The matter will be mentioned later this month for pre-trial directions.
Court documents indicate that Ms. Asembo had been arrested on September 3, 2025, and released on a cash bail of KSh25,000 pending arraignment. However, she failed to appear in court on the scheduled date, leading to the issuance of a warrant of arrest on September 17, 2025.
Following a brief manhunt, EACC officers re-arrested her this week at a hideout in Nairobi before presenting her to court.
Legal Charges and Penalties
Ms. Asembo faces several charges under the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act (ACECA) and the Penal Code:
- Fraudulent acquisition of public property, contrary to Section 45(1)(a) as read with Section 48(1) of ACECA;
- Deceiving a principal, contrary to Section 41(2) as read with Section 48(1) of ACECA;
- Forgery, contrary to Section 345 as read with Section 349 of the Penal Code; and
- Uttering a false document, contrary to Section 353 of the Penal Code.
If convicted, she faces fines, custodial sentences, or both, depending on the gravity of each offence. Under ACECA, fraudulent acquisition of public property attracts a fine not exceeding one million shillings or imprisonment of up to ten years, or both.
Widespread Issue of Credential Fraud
EACC has in recent years stepped up investigations into cases involving the use of forged academic and professional certificates by public officials and employees of state corporations. The Commission views such cases as a form of economic crime because individuals who falsify their qualifications unlawfully occupy public positions, drawing salaries and benefits without merit.
The Commission has consistently warned that certificate fraud undermines meritocracy in public service, distorts fair hiring processes, and leads to wastage of public resources.
“Forgery and falsification of credentials deny qualified Kenyans the opportunity to serve and erode public trust in our institutions,” said an EACC official familiar with the investigations. “We continue to work closely with government agencies and employers to verify academic and professional documents to curb this vice.”
In the last two years, EACC has uncovered multiple cases of falsified academic documents in public offices, leading to arrests and prosecutions across counties and state corporations.
In April 2025, a senior county executive officer in Uasin Gishu was charged with presenting fake university transcripts, while in 2024, EACC secured a conviction against a former Ministry of Health employee for using a forged KCSE certificate to obtain employment and draw salaries totaling over KSh3 million.
Public Sector Integrity
The Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company (NCWSC), one of the largest utilities in East Africa, has also been under scrutiny in recent years over governance and human resource integrity. The company has been implementing reforms to strengthen its hiring and verification processes following past incidents of irregular appointments and internal fraud.
EACC’s latest action, analysts say, highlights the growing scrutiny of credentials verification within state agencies as part of Kenya’s broader anti-corruption and governance reform agenda.
“Public sector integrity requires strict adherence to transparency and merit-based recruitment,” noted a governance expert based in Nairobi. “Cases like this demonstrate why due diligence and document verification are essential to restoring confidence in public institutions.”
The EACC has called on public bodies to strengthen internal audit and verification mechanisms to detect and deter the use of falsified qualifications during recruitment. The Commission has also urged employers to liaise directly with institutions such as the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) and universities to verify academic claims before appointments are finalized.
EACC Reaffirms Commitment
In a statement following the arraignment, EACC reiterated its commitment to fighting all forms of corruption and fraud within the public sector, including forgery and abuse of office.
“The Commission remains steadfast in ensuring that integrity and accountability are upheld across all levels of public service,” EACC said. “We continue to pursue cases where individuals have used deception to secure public positions or defraud the government.”
As the case against Ms. Asembo proceeds, the Commission reaffirmed that it will maintain close collaboration with the DPP and the Judiciary to ensure timely prosecution and recovery of any unlawfully acquired funds.
If convicted, Ms. Asembo could be required to refund the illegally obtained salaries and face both financial penalties and jail terms.
The case underscores a broader national effort to restore integrity within Kenya’s public institutions by ensuring that public appointments are based on merit, transparency, and verified qualifications.
