A Laikipia woman was on Monday brought before a Nanyuki court to answer to a string of fraud and personation charges, after prosecutors alleged that she secured a teaching job at Doldol Primary School by posing as another person and went on to unlawfully draw salaries from the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) for nearly a year, in what authorities described as a calculated scheme to exploit public funds.
The accused, Caroline Makena Kinyua, who the charge sheet indicates also went by the alias Kairuthi Caroline Kubai, pleaded not guilty to six counts that range from fraudulent acquisition of public property to multiple counts of personation, with the prosecution asserting that she impersonated the genuine teacher by presenting falsified academic certificates, a Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) PIN and a national identity card, all of which were allegedly used to mislead TSC officials into issuing her an appointment.
The court was informed that the offences occurred between May 2023 and May 2024, during which time Ms. Kinyua allegedly collected Ksh 292,130 in salaries while serving as a public officer, a figure the prosecution insisted represented public resources diverted under false pretenses, in violation of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act as well as provisions of the Penal Code governing fraud and forgery.
Magistrate Mark Ekubi, who presided over the session, noted the gravity of the allegations but released the accused on a cash bail of Ksh150,000, which comprised an additional Ksh 50,000 over and above a Ksh 100,000 bail already granted in connection with the same matter, with the magistrate directing that the case proceed to trial where witnesses from the Teachers Service Commission are expected to testify on how the alleged deception unfolded within its employment and payroll processes.
The prosecution has indicated that it will rely on testimony from the Laikipia Sub-County TSC Director, Mellen Gesemba, who was reportedly approached by the accused on May 8, 2023 under the false identity, alongside documentary evidence said to include the falsified certificates and personal identification records, all of which will be presented to demonstrate the extent of the alleged fraud and the deliberate misrepresentation that enabled the accused to draw salaries intended for a different person.
If found guilty, Ms. Kinyua could face custodial sentences and fines under anti-corruption and criminal statutes, with the case also drawing attention to gaps in verification mechanisms at the Teachers Service Commission, where the prosecution has argued that stronger controls could have prevented the alleged fraud from progressing undetected over an extended period of time.
