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Post Reply: Former REREC Manager Fined Over Sh3 Million, Faces Four-Year Jail Term for Using Forged Degree

<blockquote><div class="quotetitle">Quote from <a class="profile-link highlight-moderator" href="https://lawguide.co.ke/understanding-law/legal-forum/profile/lawyer/">Lawyer</a> on August 15, 2025, 8:54 am</div><div id="pl-7567"  class="panel-layout" ><div id="pg-7567-0"  class="panel-grid panel-no-style" ><div id="pgc-7567-0-0"  class="panel-grid-cell"  data-weight="1" ><div id="panel-7567-0-0-0" class="so-panel widget widget_sow-editor panel-first-child panel-last-child" data-index="0" data-style="{&quot;background_image_attachment&quot;:false,&quot;background_display&quot;:&quot;tile&quot;,&quot;background_image_size&quot;:&quot;full&quot;,&quot;background_image_opacity&quot;:&quot;100&quot;,&quot;border_thickness&quot;:&quot;1px&quot;}" ><div
			
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	<p dir="ltr">A former senior manager at the Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation (REREC) has been ordered to pay fines exceeding Sh3 million or serve a four-year prison sentence after being convicted of using a counterfeit academic certificate to secure his position. The Nairobi Anti-Corruption Court, presided over by Magistrate Celesa Okore, found Noah Oketch Oluoch guilty on two of the three charges brought against him, determining that the prosecution had proven beyond reasonable doubt that he fraudulently acquired public funds and presented a false document.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Court records reveal that Oluoch unlawfully obtained more than Sh1.4 million in salary and allowances between April and August 2022 by submitting a forged Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree certificate, which he claimed was issued by the University of Nairobi. The prosecution established that Oluoch knowingly submitted the fake certificate to REREC's then-Chief Executive Officer, Peter Mbugua, to secure his role as General Manager of Finance and ICT.</p>
<p dir="ltr">In her ruling on Thursday, August 14, 2025, Magistrate Okore emphasized the evidence demonstrating Oluoch's deceit. "The court finds that indeed the prosecution has proved the charge of uttering a false document. The accused was not truthful in his statements," she declared. Oluoch was fined Sh100,000 or one year in prison for using a forged document, an additional Sh2.91 million or two years in jail for unlawfully acquiring public funds, and a further Sh100,000 or 12 months in prison for presenting a false document. The magistrate ordered that all sentences be served consecutively, meaning Oluoch must pay the full fines or face a combined four-year prison term.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Oluoch's defense team argued for leniency, citing his status as a first-time offender, his age of 55, and his health condition, claiming he suffered from hypertension. However, Magistrate Okore dismissed the plea, noting that no medical evidence was provided to substantiate the health claims. "No medical evidence has been put before me, and therefore the court shall take that with a pinch of salt," she stated.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The case came to light after Oluoch resigned from his position just five months after starting, following the discovery that his degree certificate was not genuine. Peter Mbugua testified that Oluoch had excelled in interviews, scoring 78 percent and outperforming two other candidates who scored 73 and 72 percent, respectively. However, suspicions arose, and an investigation confirmed the certificate's inauthenticity. Deputy Registrar Peter Mbuthia from the University of Nairobi further corroborated the prosecution's case by confirming that the institution had not issued the MBA degree certificate Oluoch submitted.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Oluoch's legal troubles began in April 2024, when he was charged with three counts of forgery before the Milimani Anti-Corruption Chief Magistrate Court. He pleaded not guilty and was released on a Sh500,000 bail with an alternative bond of Sh1 million. The case faced delays, including an adjournment in March 2025 due to the prosecution's failure to serve witness statements, pushing the hearing to April 1, 2025. Despite these setbacks, the court proceeded with the trial, culminating in the recent conviction.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The case underscores ongoing concerns about the use of fraudulent academic credentials to secure high-ranking positions in Kenya's public sector. It also highlights the judiciary's commitment to addressing corruption and ensuring accountability for the misuse of public funds.</p>
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