A former senior manager at the Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation (REREC), Noah Oketch Oluoch (55), has been convicted of fraud after using a counterfeit Master’s Degree academic certificate to secure a promotion, resulting in unlawful earnings exceeding Sh1.4 million.
The Nairobi Anti-Corruption Court, presided over by Magistrate Celesa Okore, found Oluoch guilty on two counts: presenting a false document and fraudulently acquiring public funds. He was acquitted on a third charge.
According to court documents, Oluoch submitted a forged Master of Business Administration certificate from the University of Nairobi to REREC’s then-CEO Peter Mbugua during a competitive hiring process in early 2022. He emerged as the top candidate, scoring 78 percent in interviews, ahead of two other applicants.
Following his appointment, Oluoch received salary and allowances totaling Sh1.4 million between April and August 2022. However, he resigned just five months into the role, shortly before a disciplinary committee could review the authenticity of his credentials.
Strengthening the prosecution’s case, the University of Nairobi, through Deputy Registrar Peter Mbuthia, confirmed that the certificate Oluoch presented had never been issued by the institution.
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In her ruling on Thursday, 14th August 2025, Magistrate Okore stated that the evidence clearly demonstrated Oluoch’s intent to deceive.
“The court finds that the prosecution has proved the charge of uttering a false document. The accused was not truthful in his statements,” she said.
Oluoch was handed three separate penalties: Sh100,000 or one year in prison for using a forged document; Sh2.91 million or two years for illegally obtaining public funds; and an additional Sh100,000 or 12 months for presenting false documentation. The sentences are to run consecutively, meaning he must pay the full fines or serve a combined four-year prison term.
This conviction comes barely two months after the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) released a list exposing individuals who had fraudulently secured public jobs and promotions using forged academic credentials. The case now raises eyebrows over the authenticity and integrity of academic certification system in Kenya.
By Masaki Enock
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