A puzzle has emerged over why the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) has only now decided to charge Juja MP George Koimburi with forging academic certificates, nearly three decades after the alleged offence.
The legislator, who has held office since 2021, pleaded not guilty to six counts of forgery at the Kiambu Law Courts on Wednesday.
According to the charge sheet, Koimburi allegedly forged a Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) in 1994 to secure entry into higher learning institutions.
He is also accused of falsifying a Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) certificate in Human Resource Development, along with other academic documents.
The timing of the charges has raised eyebrows, given that the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) is mandated to vet the academic credentials of all candidates before they are cleared by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to contest elections.
Koimburi's certificates had seemingly passed scrutiny, allowing him to vie in the 2021 by-election and serve as an MP for nearly three years.
His arrest came suddenly on Tuesday morning as he left his residence on Kenyatta Road in Juja. He was taken to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters for questioning before being transferred to Kamukunji Police Station, where he spent the night after being denied bail.
The charges state that Koimburi presented his allegedly forged KCSE certificate at the EACC offices on March 8, 2021. On the same day, he also submitted the disputed JKUAT documents. Investigators claim the forgeries were used to enhance his political and professional credentials.
Koimburi was arrested shortly after publicly criticising the government’s alleged expenditure of Ksh13 billion in support of Raila Odinga’s unsuccessful bid for the African Union Commission (AUC) chairmanship.
His lawyer, Ndegwa Njiru, insists the charges are politically motivated and linked to Koimburi’s vocal opposition to the government. Njiru argues that the state is using the forgery allegations to silence a critical voice within the political space.
Koimburi was released on a Ksh200,000 bond after spending Tuesday night in jail.
The case has highlighted the widening political rift between President William Ruto and allies of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, with Koimburi known to be a close associate of the latter.
Observers view his legal troubles as part of a broader strategy to isolate Gachagua’s camp within the ruling coalition.
