A 54-year-old man has been arrested in Changamwe, Mombasa County, following a two-year investigation into the alleged forgery and use of a fraudulent Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) certificate.
Awange Oscar Akoth was arrested by detectives after investigations linked him to the use of a forged KCSE certificate in connection with his employment at the Kenya Railways Corporation.
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the case emerged after Kenya Railways initiated an authentication exercise targeting academic and professional certificates presented by its employees.
Awange Oscar Akoth. Photo: Courtesy.
During the verification process, Akothβs KCSE certificate, purportedly issued by the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC), was flagged for further scrutiny.
The certificate, bearing number 624785 and purportedly issued in 1993, was subsequently forwarded to KNEC for verification. The examination council confirmed that the document had been forged.
Further investigations established that grades in three subjects had allegedly been altered from D (Plain) to C (Plain). Detectives also found that the mean grade had been tampered with, changing it from D+ (Plus) to C (Plain).
Following the findings, detectives forwarded the investigation file to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) for directions.
After reviewing the evidence, the ODPP directed that Akoth face charges of Uttering a False Document, contrary to Section 353 of the Penal Code, and Fraudulent Acquisition of Public Property, contrary to Section 45(1)(a) of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act (ACECA).
However, Akoth remained at large as detectives continued efforts to locate and arrest him.
The DCI said detectives eventually traced him to Mombasa County, where they mounted an operation that led to his arrest in Changamwe.
The suspect is currently being processed by detectives and is expected to be arraigned before the Milimani Law Courts to face the charges.
The arrest marks the latest development in the investigation into the alleged use of forged academic documents to secure or retain employment.
