A stunning blow to public trust landed in court today as the Liza Anyoso forgery arrest unfolded, with the former Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company (NCWSC) clerk facing serious charges over a fake degree that allegedly netted her millions in undeserved pay. Liza Amara Anyoso, 38, appeared before Senior Principal Magistrate Lawrence Ondieki at the Milimani Anti-Corruption Court, her face drawn under the harsh fluorescent lights.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) detectives had swooped in earlier, hauling her to the Integrity Centre Police Station for processing before the dramatic courtroom debut. Prosecutors laid out a damning trio of counts: forgery under Sections 345 and 349 of the Penal Code, uttering a false document per Section 353, and deceiving her employer contrary to the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act.
At the heart? A bogus Bachelor of Commerce certificate from the University of Nairobi was waved like a golden ticket to snag her registry clerk gig back in 2018. With that phoney paper, Anyoso climbed the ladder, pocketing a cool Sh7.8 million in salaries over six years, cash that investigators say belonged to honest taxpayers footing NCWSC’s bills.
“This isn’t just about one fake sheet of paper,” a prosecutor quipped outside court. “It’s a betrayal of every Kenyan struggling for a fair shot at public jobs.” Anyoso, dressed in a simple navy blouse, stood ramrod straight as the charges were read.
Her voice barely above a whisper, she pleaded not guilty to all three, eyes scanning the sparse gallery of reporters and a lone family member clutching a worn handbag. The magistrate wasted no time, granting bail at Sh80,000 cash or a Sh1 million bond with one surety. “Given the nature of these offences, we must balance justice with rights,” Ondieki ruled, setting the next mention for October 23.
As she stepped out into the Nairobi drizzle, supporters whispered encouragements, but the air crackled with doubts. Neighbours in her Buruburu flat recall her poring over books late into the night, but none suspected the degree was doctored as she had forged Bishop Ndingi High School KCSE Certificate.
“She was always so polished, talking about her UoN days,” one pal confided. “Who knew it was all smoke?” The EACC’s net has widened lately on fake qualifications plaguing parastatals. Just last month, five officials across ministries got pinched for similar scams, from bogus KCSE slips to phantom PhDs.
“We’re draining the swamp, one forged cert at a time,” EACC boss David Oginde vowed in a statement today, tying Anyoso’s bust to a broader war on graft eating Sh billions yearly.
NCWSC brass stayed tight-lipped, but insiders say the scandal stings amid ongoing water woes, leaky pipes and billing blues that scream mismanagement. “It erodes what little faith we have left,” a veteran engineer griped anonymously.
