NAIROBI, KENYA — Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have arrested five suspected hackers linked to a complex cyber fraud operation that led to the loss of Ksh 3.2 million from a victim’s bank accounts.
The scheme began when the victim, stuck in traffic on Race Course Road, was approached by two men pretending there had been a minor accident. As he rolled down his window, one of the men snatched his phone and fled, triggering a series of unauthorized transactions.
According to DCI, over Ksh 1.89 million was withdrawn from the victim’s first bank account. Funds were traced to Fredrick Maina Wairimu, Brian Machani, and Brian Obaye Kiveu, with an additional Ksh 404,125 funneled through encrypted M-Pesa accounts. The second account was hit for Ksh 1.31 million, with transactions directed to Bonface Kirim Baimana, John Erick Musyoki Kyengo, and Jambo Pay Trust, among others.
Investigations led detectives to Fredrick Wairimu, who admitted to opening multiple bank accounts on behalf of Peter Kariuki Mathii, facilitated by Peter Wandera Ouma and Hanington Kui Walubengo. All three were arraigned on April 28, 2025, at the Makadara Law Courts, where detectives were granted a 21-day custodial order.
Further arrests included Peter Kariuki Mathii and Isaack Mugo Kanini in Ruiru, found in a Toyota Voxy filled with SIM cards, ATM cards, counterfeit currency, and a SIM registration device.
The investigation identified David Nganga Macharia as the mastermind, previously wanted for a 2019 electronic fraud case. A search of his Subaru (KDB 879M) and residence in Zimmerman uncovered phones, SIMs, ID cards, fake dollars, and laptops.
Macharia, Mathii, and Kanini were arraigned on May 5, 2025, and detectives were granted a 10-day custodial order to pursue more suspects.
