Ex-KEPHIS Employee Fined Ksh. 5 Million for Fake Certificates and False Information
By THE DISPATCH DIGITAL REPORTER
The Anti-Corruption Court in Nairobi has imposed a Ksh. 5 million fine on Zinje Juma Mwadama, a former employee of the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS), or, in default, an 8-year prison term. Mwadama was convicted for fraudulently acquiring academic certificates to secure employment and providing false information to a public entity.
Mwadama, who served as an Assistant Inspector II, was found guilty of earning a total of Ksh. 4,746,834.38 from KEPHIS through fraudulent means between June 2013 and April 2021. He was fined Ksh. 100,000, or 12 months imprisonment for acquiring the fake academic certificate, and an additional mandatory fine equivalent to the fraudulent earnings, with a default sentence of 5 years imprisonment.
The court, presided over by Chief Magistrate Thomas Nzyoki, also imposed a fine of Ksh. 200,000, or 2 years imprisonment, on two counts of providing false information to a public entity. Mwadama had falsely claimed to hold a Diploma in Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development from Baraka Agricultural College and a Certificate in Agriculture with Distinction from Kilifi Institute of Agriculture. All sentences are to run consecutively from July 30, 2024.
