Kamanda Allegedly Acquired Fake Academic certificates after school was closed

The case of influential individuals across the country acquiring fake certificates to help them contest for elective seats or be appointed to top managerial jobs isn’t new in the Kenyan political sphere.

In some instances, to date, some top individuals have pending cases in court while others were lucky evidence wasn’t enough to force the government to revoke their appointment.

Such a case is that of nominated MP Maina Kamanda, which has been in the media for the longest time now.

Kamanda, who is close to President Uhuru Kenyatta and a staunch member of BBI steering committee, in an earlier media interview blamed his political enemies for circulating copies of his alleged fake certificates claiming that this only happens when elections near.

“These are well-known individuals and their intentions are known too. The same matter was at one time in court, but withdrawn after they discovered that they lacked evidence, “he once said.

In 2017 general election, about 10 groups of petitioners camped at Jubilee headquarter in Pangani and issued signed copies that indicated how Kamanda allegedly acquired his certificates asking that he be barred from contesting.

The group attached a copy of Kamanda’s Form Four academic papers and requested the party leadership to scrutinize them keenly.

A reliable source who sought anonymity informed Opera News that the purported school, CITY HIGH, that Kamanda claims to have attended was closed years ago by the government and the premises were occupied by Pioneer University college owned by Equity Bank Founder Peter Munga.

The source, who is almost Kamanda’s agemate, had earlier told the media that Kamanda who hails from Murang’a County never attended post-primary school education.

“Let us be open here, William Kamanda has never stepped into high school, I know him and people who schooled with him during his primary school days can attest, if for sure, he has secondary school certificates, he must have acquired it through a back door,” he disclosed.

Before the 2017 election, a source was quoted by the media stating that JKUAT, as well as Saint Paul University, are also investigating his papers.

“His certificates are fake; the institutions he purports to have attended were closed a long time ago so he decided to take advantage of this. JKUAT and St Paul Universities senates are also investigating his attendance at their institutions,” stated the source.

Other influential candidates who are accused of fake academic papers include
Former Kiambu governor Ferdinand Waititu, Bishop Margaret Wanjiru, Mombasa governor Hassan Joho and the former Nairobi governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko.

Waititu’s alleged academic forgery case is perhaps the longest and most publicized in the media over claims that he attended Punjab University in India.

His woes emerged after his predecessor William Kabogo filed a petition in court challenging Waititu’s academic qualification.

Kabogo claimed that the former governor was using an academic certificate which conflicted with his official name, Ferdinand, on his birth certificate.

On Bishop Wanjiru’s case, she cited that she had acquired a Doctorate of Theology degree from Vineyard Harvester Bible College.

The Commission for Higher University questioned the institutions she (Wanjiru) had received her certificates from noting they weren’t recognized.

1n 2019, Kiambu ward MCA cum pastor of the Africa Independent Pentecostal Church, was being sought after by EACC over fake certificates.

The anti-corruption agency opened a case against him after it emerged that he had enrolled in the programme at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT).

The MCA allegedly forged his KCSE certificate to pursue a diploma course at the University. He was arrested and later released on Ksh 1 million bond and a surety of a similar amount.

JKUAT later told the media that they withdrew the diploma certificate issued to Mr Gathongo after learning his KCSE certificate was forged.