Former Nairobi senatorial aspirant Gabriel Bukachi Chapia
has been convicted for forging academic certificates and fraudulently acquiring
public funds, following a plea deal entered at the Milimani Anti-Corruption Law
Courts.
Chapia, who contested the Nairobi senatorial seat on an ODM ticket in the 2017 general elections, pleaded guilty to three counts of forgery and two counts of fraudulent acquisition of public property. The charges were in violation of Sections 345 and 349 of the Penal Code, and Section 45(1)(a) read with Section 48 of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act.
In a ruling delivered by Principal Magistrate C.N. Ondieki,
Chapia was sentenced to two and a half years in prison or alternatively pay a
fine of Sh150,000 — Sh30,000 for each of the five counts.
The court further ordered Chapia to refund over Sh4 million, being funds he fraudulently earned while holding public positions. This includes Sh182,751 received while working at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH), Sh3,314,662 drawn from the Kenya Investment Authority (KenInvest), 12per cent interest, pushing the total amount to Sh3,917,102.56
Failure to repay the full amount will see him serve an
additional one year in jail.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) began investigating Chapia following a report received on May 4, 2017, alleging that he had falsified academic documents to secure high-level positions in government institutions.
Investigations revealed that Chapia had forged a a Master’s degree in Information Technology from Daystar University, a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Maseno University, multiple diplomas and short course certificates allegedly issued by the Catholic Diocese of Nakuru
These fake credentials were used to secure roles as ICT Manager at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (2009), ICT Manager at Kenya Investment Authority (2010) and Ward Administrator at Nairobi City County Government (2014).
Chapia’s conviction follows a controversial attempt by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to withdraw the case in October 2024, even after 14 witnesses had testified.
The DPP had filed a motion under Section 87(a) of the Criminal Procedure Code, citing a request by the accused.
However, the EACC vehemently opposed the withdrawal, arguing
it lacked legal merit and was against the public interest.
The court upheld the EACC’s position, allowing the case to proceed—eventually resulting in Chapia’s conviction.
