Shock as senior City Hall officials linked to fake academic certificates
Nairobi
By
Pkemoi Ng'enoh
| Apr 01, 2026
A probe into Nairobi County’s workforce has uncovered a shocking trend, senior City Hall officials allegedly secured jobs using fake academic certificates while earning millions in salaries and allowances.
The revelations emerged during a heated session of the Nairobi County Assembly Labour Committee, where members grilled the Nairobi City County Public Service Board over ongoing staff audits.
The board is currently verifying employees’ academic credentials, amid mounting concerns over widespread document fraud within the county workforce.
During the sitting, chaired by Labour Committee Vice Chair Patrick Karani, it emerged that several Chief Officers and Directors could be serving without valid qualifications.
“You, as the recruiting body of the county, ought to have put in place systems or mechanisms to detect fake or forged documents before recruitment. Some of them are obvious glaringly fake,” said Karani.
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Board member Jack Owino told the committee that investigations are ongoing across multiple departments. He said a list of officials found to hold public office without proper qualifications will be released once the audit is complete.
Owino, however, defended the board against criticism over delays, noting that verification involves liaising with issuing institutions and external agencies.
“The process is ongoing. We write to relevant institutions to confirm the authenticity of certificates presented. If required, we will table the report soon,” he said.
He admitted the county has long struggled with forged documents and said resolving the issue would require support from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).
Committee members questioned the credibility of the audit, warning that some officials overseeing the verification process may themselves be unqualified.
“It is in the possession of this committee that we have documents of staff employed with fake papers some with no papers at all. We have not seen anyone being questioned. Nothing is happening,” a member said.
MCAs warned the board against interfering with the audit, insisting that accountability must be upheld. They noted that the issue cuts across all levels of staff and has denied qualified candidates the opportunity to serve in public office.
“It is a serious matter affecting both junior and senior staff. It must be handled with the urgency it deserves,” the committee stated.