Sh28.4M salary trail at centre of former Auditor General official’s fake degree case

A former Deputy Director of Audit at the Office of the Auditor General has been charged with allegedly using a forged university degree certificate to secure employment and rise through the ranks of the public service.

Hannah Wambui Mwaura, also known as Anna Wambui Mwaura, was arraigned before the Milimani Anti-Corruption Court on Thursday, where she pleaded not guilty to all charges brought against her by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).

According to the EACC, investigators established that in July 2013, the Office of the Auditor General advertised the position of Assistant Manager – Audit.

The post required applicants to have at least eight years of audit experience, a Bachelor’s degree from a recognised university, a Master of Business Administration or a related qualification, and professional accounting qualifications.

The commission alleges that Mwaura submitted a forged Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting Option), Second Class Honours (Upper Division) degree certificate purportedly issued by Mount Kenya University on 20 August 2010 as part of her application documents.

The EACC said the certificate allegedly enabled her to secure the job and later earn promotion to the position of Deputy Director – Audit.

The commission arrested Mwaura on 4 August 2026 and booked her at the Integrity Centre Police Station before releasing her on a police cash bail of Sh100,000 pending arraignment.

Following her court appearance, the Milimani Anti-Corruption Court released her on cash bail of Sh450,000 or an alternative bond of Sh1 million with a surety of a similar amount.

The EACC alleges that as a result of the fraudulent academic qualification, Mwaura unlawfully received Sh28,468,754.14 in salaries from 3 February 2013 to 23 May 2024.

The commission said further investigations revealed that at the time she allegedly presented the degree certificate during the recruitment process, she was still a student at Mount Kenya University pursuing the Bachelor of Commerce programme and had not yet graduated.

Upon completing investigations, the EACC forwarded the file to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), who approved four charges against the former audit official:

• Forgery

• Uttering a false document

• Deceiving a principal

• Fraudulent acquisition of public property

The case will proceed before the anti-corruption court.

Beyond the criminal case, the EACC announced that it will institute civil proceedings to recover salaries and benefits allegedly obtained through fraudulent academic qualifications.