The amount of bribes paid to a cartel of fraudsters by trained teachers seeking employment at the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has risen to Sh133.8 million.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) revised the figure from Sh46 million reported a week ago, adding Sh87.8 million following new evidence emerging from ongoing investigations.
Investigators say the amount could rise further as they close in on a key suspect believed to be at the centre of the fraud, who has since gone underground.
Four suspects arrested in connection with the circulation of fake employment letters have been formally charged in a Bomet court 12 days after their arrest and detention.
According to the DCI, trained but unemployed teachers lost the money to a cartel operating across Bomet, Kericho, Nakuru, Narok, Nyamira and Kisii counties.
Those charged are Konoin Sub-county TSC Director David Kipngeno Kemei, Rosebellah Chepkemoi Korirand two teachers, Siele Leonard Towett and Mercy Cherotich.
Desperate teachers were forced to part with as much as Sh700,000, more than many would earn in a full year, just to receive a forged letter of appointment.
Photo credit: File | Nation
The four are accused of fraudulently obtaining Sh133.8 million from job seekers by falsely claiming they could secure them employment at the TSC and issuing fake appointment letters.
Last Friday, they were released on bond following an application by their lawyers Kipkirui Kap Telw’a and Nelson Kenduiywa.
Bomet Chief Magistrate Mbethi Michuki ordered that each suspect be released on a Sh1 million bond with two sureties of a similar amount. They complied with the bond terms and secured their release with the case set for mention on February 5.
The suspects are accused of obtaining money by false pretence from job seekers on various dates between December 1, 2024, and December 30, 2025, while working with others not before court.
When they were first arraigned on January 12, 2026, the court ordered that they be held in custody for 14 days after the prosecution sought more time to complete investigations.
However, the court reviewed the earlier orders and granted them a Sh500,000 bond following a defence application.
Before their release, the Director of Public Prosecutions formally charged them even as investigations continue.
The court heard that some of the suspects live with disabilities, while others suffer from diabetes and hypertension and require medical attention. One of the female suspects was also said to have a young child under her care.
“All the suspects are government employees and will abide by the strict bond terms set by this court. They also risk suspension from their workplaces for failing to report on duty, yet they had not been formally charged at the time,” Mr Kap Telw’a told the court.
Ms Michuki agreed with the prosecution that the matter is of high public interest, noting that unsuspecting job seekers were defrauded of amounts ranging between Sh400,000 and Sh700,000 in a scheme believed to have been running for years.
Investigators said the bribe money was received in cash, through mobile money (MPESA) transactions and bank deposits, all of which are now under scrutiny.
DCI officers were allowed by the court to seize mobile phones and electronic gadgets from the suspects and to obtain MPESA and bank statements to establish a paper trail.
Documents linked to the transactions were also confiscated from the suspects’ homes with more victims continuing to record statements as investigations progress.
The matter came to the fore following protests in Konoin Constituency, Bomet County, where victims accused TSC officials of receiving bribes.
