A 54-year-old man has been arrested in Changamwe, Mombasa County, after a two-year investigation into the alleged forgery and use of a fake KCSE certificate.

Awange Oscar Akoth was arrested by detectives following an authentication exercise by Kenya Railways Corporation on academic and professional certificates presented by its employees.

His KCSE certificate, allegedly issued by the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) in 1993, was flagged during the exercise.

KNEC later confirmed that the certificate, number 624785, was forged.

Investigators found that grades in three subjects had allegedly been changed from D (Plain) to C (Plain). The mean grade was also altered from D+ (Plus) to C (Plain).

The case file was later reviewed by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), which directed that Akoth face charges of uttering a false document and fraudulent acquisition of public property, contrary to Section 353 of the Penal Code, and Fraudulent Acquisition of Public Property, contrary to Section 45(1)(a) of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act (ACECA).

Detectives traced him to Changamwe, where he was arrested after remaining at large during the investigation.

Akoth is currently being processed ahead of his arraignment at the Milimani Law Courts.