Former teacher facing eight counts of forgery

Gitonga Nyaga, a former teacher facing eight counts of forgery. August 19, 2022. [Muriithi Mugo, Standard]

A former teacher is facing eight counts of forgery and obtaining money by false pretences.

Gitonga Nyaga is also facing charges of impersonation, forging stamps and receipts where he conned several schools by pretending to work for Wildlife Club of Kenya.

Nyaga is accused of obtaining Sh10,700 at St Mary Goreti Girls Secondary School in Embu on November 11, 2021, by pretending to be the County Director at Wildlife Club of Kenya.

Other schools that fell victim to the scam are SA Kyeni Girls and Kianjokoma Secondary.

During cross-examination, Gitonga revealed that he was dismissed as a teacher in 2009 after he was convicted of assault and causing grievous harm to a student and served a jail term at the Embu GK Prison.

Initially, Gitonga denied the charges but during the court proceedings he asked for the charges to be read afresh and he pleaded guilty.

"I direct that a probation report be availed to the court before the court delivers the sentence," Senior Principal Magistrate Tony Kwambai says.

In his mitigation, Gitonga requested the court to give him a non-custodial sentence submitting that he is the sole breadwinner for the family.

"I have three children, one in University and the other two in college while my wife is a peasant farmer" He pleaded.

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