Questions over academic verification in police recruitment have emerged after nominated Senator Karen Nyamu admitted helping a supporter obtain fraudulent secondary school papers in an attempt to join the National Police Service.

In an interview with a local media station on Friday, October 23, 2026, Nyamu described how the effort to secure a police recruitment opportunity for a close associate eventually ended with the individual being arrested.

The senator said the supporter, who was in their late twenties, did not have the required Form Four certificate. She acknowledged that they went ahead and prepared fake academic documents to overcome the qualification barrier.

The individual was subsequently admitted to Kiganjo Police Training College, where recruits undergo police training. However, the arrangement did not last after investigations uncovered the fraudulent papers.

Nyamu said she learnt of the arrest when the recruit called her from a police station.

She added that the case involved other trainees, with about 18 recruits reportedly dismissed from the programme after their academic documents were found to be fake.

During the interview, Nyamu linked her efforts to help the supporter to her experience after the 2017 General Election, when she failed to secure an elective position.

She said she later became a director at Nairobi Water and sought to help people who had worked on her campaign find employment.

According to the senator, some of her former campaign team members did not possess the academic qualifications required for available positions, complicating her attempts to secure opportunities for them.

She recalled that the supporter who sought to join the police service was among those she tried to assist.

Nyamu openly acknowledged the role she played in preparing the documents, describing the process as “Tukakarabati, tukakarabati Form Four.”

The senator said the recruit managed to begin training before the forged documents were detected.

Her account suggests that the verification process eventually exposed the irregularities, leading to arrests and the removal of trainees found with fake academic papers.

The disclosure puts the spotlight on the importance of authentic academic credentials in public service recruitment, particularly in the National Police Service, where applicants are required to meet established entry standards.

Nyamu’s remarks also offer a glimpse into how attempts to reward political supporters with employment opportunities can take a different turn when recruitment requirements are bypassed.