former ICT Assistant at the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company (NCWSC), Lawrence Masinde Barasa. 
By Our Nairobi Correspodent
The Nairobi Anti-Corruption Court has convicted a former ICT Assistant at the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company (NCWSC), Lawrence Masinde Barasa, for fraudulently acquiring public funds amounting to Sh7,123,963 using a forged academic certificate.
Delivering the judgment, Anti-Corruption Principal Magistrate Charles Ondieki found Barasa guilty on three counts: fraudulent acquisition of public property, uttering a false document, and deceiving a principal.
The court heard that Barasa forged a Diploma in Information Technology allegedly issued by the Eldoret Polytechnic, which he used to secure employment at NCWSC. Through this fraudulent appointment, he unlawfully drew salaries and benefits totaling more than Sh7.1 million.
In his ruling, Magistrate Ondieki fined Barasa Sh100,000 for the first count of fraudulent acquisition of public property and further imposed a mandatory fine of Sh14,347,926 — double the amount illegally obtained — as prescribed by law. Should he fail to pay the fines, Barasa will serve a two-year jail term.
Although the court acquitted him of the forgery charge due to lack of sufficient evidence, Barasa was convicted of uttering a false document and fined Sh100,000 or face one year in prison in default. He was also fined an additional Sh100,000 for deceiving a principal, with another one-year default jail term.
The magistrate ruled that all default prison sentences would run consecutively.
Barasa was informed of his right to appeal both the conviction and the sentence within 14 days.
