KRA employee charged over fake degree used to earn Sh13.9m salary

Peter Wangio Mwambingu, the KRA employee charged over an alleged fake degree before the Milimani Law Courts. [Nancy Gitonga, Standard]

A Nairobi court has freed a Kenya Revenue Authority employee accused of using a forged university degree to secure employment and earn Sh13.9 million.

Peter Wangio Mwambingu, who appeared before Milimani Chief Magistrate Gethi Kibiru on Monday released on a Sh5 million bond or a cash bail of Sh2 million after he was charged with fraudulently acquiring millions of shillings of public property.

The office of the DPP informed the court that Mwambingu fraudulently acquired public property worth Sh13,947,114.59 from the Kenya Revenue Authority between August 16, 2013 and March 21, 2024.

He faces four counts, including forgery and fraudulent acquisition of public property contrary to Section 45(1)(a) as read with Section 48 of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act.

The prosecution alleges that Mwambingu used a forged Jomo Kenyatta University degree certificate to secure his position at KRA.

According to the charge sheet, on or before August 16, 2013, at an unknown place in Kenya, Mwambingu, jointly with others not before the court and with intent to defraud, forged Jomo Kenyatta University Degree Certificate Number 121205 in his name.

The certificate allegedly purported to show that he had graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Finance on July 20, 2012.

The prosecution alleges that this was false and that Mwambingu knew it to be false.

He is also charged with making a document without authority, contrary to Section 375(a) of the Penal Code.

The charge sheet alleges that he, without lawful authority or excuse, made the Jomo Kenyatta University degree certificate, purporting it to be a genuine certificate signed by the university's Vice Chancellor and Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic and Student Affairs.

Mwambingu further faces a count of uttering a false document contrary to Section 353 of the Penal Code.

The prosecution alleges that on August 16, 2013, at the KRA Head Office at Times Tower in Nairobi, he knowingly and fraudulently presented a false document, namely the purported Jomo Kenyatta University degree certificate.

The certificate is alleged to have identified him as Peter Mwambingu and purported to confer upon him a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Finance.

The Republic, through the Kenya Revenue Authority, is listed as the complainant.

The prosecution has also listed Thaddeus Gitonga Kairaria and Detective Alex Wekesa as witnesses.

The case will be mentioned on September 21, 2026, for a pre-trial conference.