A Kenya Revenue Authority finance manager is facing criminal charges after prosecutors accused him of using a forged Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) degree certificate to secure his position and subsequently fraudulently acquire Sh13.9 million in public property.
Peter Wangio Mwambingu appeared before Milimani Chief Magistrate Gethi Kibiru on September 7, 2026, where he denied four charges arising from allegations that stretch back more than a decade.
The prosecution alleges that Mwambingu fraudulently acquired public property valued at Sh13,947,114.59 from KRA between August 16, 2013, and March 21, 2024.
The allegations effectively place the alleged misconduct over a period of nearly 11 years, raising questions about how the purported academic qualification was allegedly used and retained within the tax agency for such an extended period.
According to the charge sheet, the saga began with an alleged fake JKUAT degree certificate.
Prosecutors allege that on or before August 16, 2013, Mwambingu, jointly with other persons who have not been brought before the court, forged a JKUAT degree certificate in his name with intent to defraud.
The certificate allegedly bore a JKUAT certificate number and purported to show that Mwambingu had graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Finance on July 20, 2012.
The prosecution maintains that the qualification was false and that Mwambingu knew it was not genuine.
The alleged document did not, however, remain merely a piece of paper.
Prosecutors claim Mwambingu presented the purported degree at KRA’s headquarters at Times Tower in Nairobi on August 16, 2013, knowingly and fraudulently passing it off as a genuine university certificate.
He has consequently been charged with uttering a false document.
He also faces a separate count of making a document without lawful authority or excuse, with the prosecution alleging that the certificate was made to appear as an authentic document bearing the signatures of JKUAT’s Vice Chancellor and the Deputy Vice Chancellor responsible for Academic and Student Affairs.
The most serious financial allegation concerns the Sh13.9 million that prosecutors say Mwambingu fraudulently acquired from KRA.
The charge is brought under Section 45(1)(a), as read with Section 48 of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act.
The Republic of Kenya, through KRA, is listed as the complainant.
The prosecution’s case, as reported from the charge sheet, links the alleged public-property loss to the period from August 16, 2013, to March 21, 2024.
The case therefore goes beyond an allegation of academic fraud. Prosecutors are effectively alleging that a forged qualification was used within a public institution and that this ultimately enabled the accused to receive public resources over an extended period.
Mwambingu was arrested on September 6 before being taken to court the following day.
When he appeared before Chief Magistrate Kibiru, he pleaded not guilty to the charges.
His lawyer asked the court to grant him reasonable bond terms, arguing that he had a fixed residence and was not a flight risk.
The prosecution did not oppose his release.
The court subsequently granted Mwambingu a Sh5 million bond with a surety of a similar amount, or an alternative cash bail of Sh2 million.
The prosecution has listed Thaddeus Gitonga Kairaria and Detective Alex Wekesa among its witnesses.
The matter is scheduled for mention on September 21, 2026, for a pre-trial conference.
The case is likely to put the spotlight not only on the allegations against Mwambingu but also on the systems used to authenticate academic qualifications during recruitment and subsequent employment within public institutions.
For now, the allegations remain unproven. Mwambingu is presumed innocent unless and until a court determines otherwise.
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