Former protocol officer in Garissa county Khadija Bare charged with forgery of academic documents

Former Garissa County Government Chief Protocol Officer Khadija Abdullahi Bare was yesterday released on a cash bail of Sh100,000 or a bond of Sh500,000 after she was charged at the anti-corruption court for forgery of her academic documents.

The former Chief Protocol Officer was arraigned yesterday following her arrest last week after investigations by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) were approved by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (ODPP).

Appearing at the Garissa Law Courts, Khadija was charged with the offences of Fraudulent Acquisition of Sh6,825,266.40 being salaries, deceiving Principal contrary to section 41(2) as read with section 48(1) of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act, 2003, Forgery contrary to section 345 as read with section 349 of the Penal Code and Uttering a false document contrary to section 353 of the Penal Code.

Details by EACC reveal that the accused forged a degree in Arts (Sociology and Political Science), which led to her securing the post at the Garissa County government.

“The Commission conducted investigations and established that Khadija forged a Bachelor of Arts (Sociology & Political Science) from the University of Nairobi and used it to secure employment as the Chief Protocol Officer of Garissa County Government. Upon conclusion of investigations, the EACC submitted the case file to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, who approved charges against Khadija Abdullahi Bare,” EACC confirmed.

The former Protocol officer is said to have been paid Sh6.8 million between 2017 and 2021 when she served at the devolved unit.

She is accused of forging the documents to read that she graduated from the University of Nairobi in 2012.

“On diverse dates between November 2017 and May 2021 within Garissa County in the Republic of Kenya, being a public officer employed at the County Government of Garissa as a Chief Protocol Officer, you fraudulently acquired public property amounting to  Sh6,825,266.40 from the said County Government of Garissa based on a forged academic document, namely a Bachelor of Arts (In Sociology & Political Science) degree certificate purportedly awarded in December 2012 from University of Nairobi, a fact you knew to be false,” EACC told the Court.