The Nairobi Anti-Corruption Court has handed down a firm ruling against Lawrence Masinde Barasa, a former ICT Assistant at the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company, after finding him guilty of fraud and deception.
Barasa was accused of obtaining employment and financial benefits through dishonest means, using a forged academic certificate that enabled him to access millions of shillings in public funds.
After a detailed hearing, the court concluded that Barasa had unlawfully acquired more than 7.1 million shillings during his time at the company.
The judgment was delivered by Principal Magistrate Hon. Charles Ondieki, who stated clearly that Barasa’s actions amounted to a breach of trust and misuse of public resources.
According to the court, Barasa presented a fake Diploma in Information Technology certificate allegedly issued by the Eldoret Polytechnic.
He used this forged document to secure his position at the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company, where he worked and benefited financially for years.
The court established that his fraudulent activities not only undermined the integrity of public service but also resulted in a significant loss of public funds.
In delivering the sentence, Hon. Ondieki fined Barasa 100,000 shillings for the first count of fraudulent acquisition of public property.
In addition, the court imposed a mandatory fine of 14,347,926 shillings, which is twice the amount he illegally obtained, as required by law.
The magistrate ruled that should Barasa fail to pay these fines, he would face two years in prison.
This penalty was meant to reflect the seriousness of the offense and serve as a warning against misuse of public office for personal gain.
On the charge of forgery, Barasa was acquitted due to insufficient evidence to prove beyond doubt that he was responsible for producing the false certificate.
However, he was convicted on the charge of uttering a false document and fined 100,000 shillings, with a one-year prison term in default.
Similarly, on the count of deceiving a principal, he was fined 100,000 shillings, with another one-year default sentence.
The court ordered that if the default prison sentences were to apply, they would run consecutively, meaning he would serve them one after the other rather than at the same time.
The ruling also reminded Barasa of his constitutional right to appeal both the conviction and the sentence within 14 days of the judgment.
The case serves as an important example of how courts are addressing issues of fraud and corruption, particularly in public institutions where accountability and trust are vital.
It highlights the growing efforts to ensure that individuals who use false documents or exploit public positions for personal enrichment face the consequences of their actions.
