The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has secured the conviction of Kelly Gichuri Muiruri for fraudulently obtaining KSh6,742,673 from Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company using a forged Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) certificate to secure employment as a driver.
Senior Principal Magistrate Celesa Okore found Muiruri guilty on four counts: fraudulent acquisition of public property, uttering a false document, deceiving a principal and presenting a forged certificate.
The court ordered him to compensate Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company KSh6,742,673, failing which he will serve four years in prison.
He was also fined KSh300,000 for fraudulent acquisition of public property, with a 12-month prison term in default.
For uttering a false document, Muiruri was fined KSh200,000, with an eight-month jail term in default. He received a similar fine and default sentence for deceiving a principal.
The charge of presenting a forged certificate attracted a fine of KSh100,000, with an additional eight-month prison term in default.
In determining the sentence, the court noted that offences involving forged academic certificates had become prevalent and constituted a serious form of economic crime. It also considered submissions made by the prosecution on the appropriate punishment.
The prosecution was led by Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Susan Keli.
