By The Weekly Vision
The Nairobi Anti-corruption Court has fined a former Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) employee, Zinje Juma Mwadama, Ksh 5 million and, in default, to serve eight years in prison for fraudulent acquisition of academic certificates to secure employment.
The court heard that he produced false information to a public servant with intent to secure employment in KEPHIS. He was required to pay a fine of Ksh 100,000 or, in default, to serve twelve months in prison, in addition to a mandatory fine of Ksh 4,746,834.38 or, in default, to serve five years in prison.
The amount is equivalent to the net salary he earned from KEPHIS as an employee, based on a fake academic certificate. Prosecuting, state counsel Susan Keli established that between June 26, 2013, and April 24, 2021, Mwadama, while employed as an Assistant Inspector II, fraudulently acquired a public property amounting to Ksh 4,746,834.38 from KEPHIS, being his salary.
Chief Magistrate Thomas Nzioki also sentenced Mwadama to serve two years in prison or pay a fine of Ksh 200,000 on two counts of providing false information to a public entity, contrary to Section 46(1)(d) as read with Section 46(2) of the Leadership and Integrity Act, 2012 Laws of Kenya.
The court heard that on February 8, 2013, at KEPHIS, Mwadama provided false information on his employment application form, claiming to have a diploma in sustainable agriculture and rural development from Baraka Agricultural College and a certificate in agriculture with a distinction from Kilifi Institute of Agriculture to secure employment. In determining the sentence, the Court indicated that it had considered the sentencing guidelines and the convict’s social inquiry report.
“Section 48 1(a) of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act (ACECA), 2003, requires that such a convict be sentenced to a fine not exceeding Sh1 million, or imprisonment for a period not exceeding ten years, or both,” read the magistrate. The court ruled that all sentences will run consecutively from the date of conviction.
