Felistas Nyambura and James Wachira Detained for Sh30.7M Theft
Domestic workers accused of defrauding deceased employer’s bank account
Two domestic workers, Felistas Nyambura and James Wachira, have been detained for five days to allow police to investigate how they allegedly stole Sh30.7 million from the deceased Joseph Barage Wanjui’s City Bank account. The suspects are accused of using his credit card to withdraw the money between 2022 and 2024.
In a ruling made by Milimani Senior Principal Magistrate Ben Mark Ekhubi, the suspects’ detention is to facilitate the ongoing investigation, which the magistrate described as complex. The investigation will extend to multiple Kenyan cities, including Meru, Mombasa, Nakuru, and Nairobi, where the crime took place.
The theft was discovered on September 3, 2024, when the Banking Fraud Investigations Unit (BFIU) of the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) was alerted to an illegal withdrawal from the Wanjui’s bank account at Absa Bank. The deceased’s widow informed their daughter, Joyce Ann Muthoni Wanjui, of the theft.
Prosecutor Virginia Kariuki informed the court that the domestic workers, Nyambura and Wachira, had been employed by the Wanjui family for over 21 years. Both suspects admitted their involvement in the fraud, which included a series of withdrawals totaling Sh30 million from the late employer’s credit card.
BFIU officer Corporal Michael Wandera requested the court’s approval to extend the detention of the accused for 14 more days to gather critical information, including bank statements, credit card records, and CCTV footage from various petrol stations in Nairobi and across the country. Statements from key witnesses, including the complainants, will also be taken.
The suspects will appear in court again on September 9, 2024, for further proceedings.
