A former Nairobi City County water official has been charged with forgery of academic certificates and fraudulent acquisition of public funds amounting to Sh6.2 million.
Babra Gladys Asembo, a former employee of the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company Limited (NCWSC), appeared before the Milimani Anti-Corruption Court on Monday to answer to multiple charges.
According to the charge sheet, Asembo is accused of using a forged Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) certificate to secure employment at NCWSC.
She faces counts including forgery, uttering a false document, deceiving a principal, and fraudulent acquisition of public funds.
"On an unknown date and place within the Republic of Kenya, with intent to deceive, you forged a Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) certificate in the name of Asembo Gladys Babra bearing a mean grade of C plus (C+) and purporting it to be a genuine certificate issued to you by the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC), a fact you knew to be false,” the charge sheet reads in part.
Asembo denied all the charges. The prosecution opposed her release on bail, citing character concerns, but said that should the court grant bail, stringent terms should be imposed to ensure her attendance during trial.
The defence opposed the request, arguing that bail is a constitutional right and that the accused had already been penalised when her previous cash bail was forfeited after missing a court appearance.
Her lawyer told the court that she was remorseful and ready to comply with any conditions the court deemed appropriate.
The court ruled that bail and bond terms are constitutional rights, releasing Asembo on a Sh1 million bond with two sureties of a similar amount. She was ordered to deposit all travel documents in court, with the investigating officer directed to confirm her immigration status within three days.
The magistrate warned the accused not to miss court sessions or interfere with witnesses, noting that any violation would result in cancellation of the bond and continuation of the case in custody.
The court also granted liberty for the parties to engage in plea bargain negotiations and directed that Asembo be supplied with all witness statements and documentary evidence before the hearing.
The case will be mentioned on November 18, 2025, to confirm compliance with pre-trial directions and set hearing dates. Asembo’s arraignment follows investigations by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), which received a report alleging that she had presented a forged KCSE certificate to obtain employment as an ICT Assistant at NCWSC.
EACC said investigations indicated the certificate was allegedly falsified but appeared to have been issued by the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC).
The Commission forwarded the file to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), who reviewed the evidence and approved the charges
