{
  "id": 4890684,
  "title": "Former Machakos chief officer charged over forged certificates",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/01/former-machakos-chief-officer-charged-over-forged-certificates",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-01T16:04:56.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Capital FM Kenya",
    "slug": "capital-fm-kenya",
    "url": "https://capitalfm.africa/former-machakos-chief-officer-charged-over-forged-certificates/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Machakos County, Kenya witnessed the charging of a former chief officer on September 1, 2026, for allegedly using forged academic certificates to obtain a high-ranking government position. The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) reported that the individual was apprehended on August 31, 2026, and presented in Machakos Law Courts on Tuesday, where he entered a plea of not guilty to all charges.\n\nThe accusations focus on the usage of a counterfeit Bachelor of Commerce degree certificate, purportedly from the University of Nairobi in 2004, and a fabricated Certified Public Accountants (CPA) Final Examination Certificate dated June 2019. These documents were allegedly used by the former chief officer to secure his appointment as Chief Officer for Industry and Innovation from January to November 2023. During this period, the individual's total salary amounted to Sh1,585,967.90, which the EACC aims to recover through civil proceedings.\n\nThe EACC's investigation confirmed the fraudulent nature of the academic qualifications provided by the accused. The Director of Public Prosecutions approved three charges against the individual: fraudulent acquisition of public property, uttering a false document, and forgery of academic certificates. Following the approval, the court granted the accused a cash bail of Sh1 million or a bond of Sh2 million with a surety of equal value. The EACC plans to initiate separate civil proceedings to recover the alleged salaries and other benefits obtained through the fraudulent academic credentials.",
  "summary": "NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 1-A former Machakos County chief officer has been charged with allegedly using forged academic certificates to secure a senior government position from which he earned more than…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "KahawaTungu",
        "title": "Former Machakos Chief Officer Charged Over Alleged Forged Academic Certificates",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/01/former-machakos-chief-officer-charged-over-alleged-forged-academic",
        "published": "2026-09-01T16:20:15.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}