Nairobi – Five people have been arrested over an online fraud scheme in which a woman was conned out of KSh 742,000 while trying to buy cement for a family construction project, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) announced on Thursday, November 5.
The complainant, who needed 1,400 bags of cement for a project in Ruiru, came across a website in August 2025 that appeared to belong to Bamburi Cement PLC. She made contact through a phone number listed on the site and was moved to WhatsApp, where she negotiated a purchase price of KSh 530 per bag.
How the fraud unfolded
She received an invoice for KSh 742,000 and was instructed to wire the full amount via RTGS to a bank account listed under the name Bamburi Cement Limited. On August 23, 2025, she transferred the money, but the cement never arrived. When she tried to follow up with the supposed supplier, no one could be reached.
She then contacted the actual Bamburi Cement PLC, which confirmed it had no record of the transaction and no connection to the website, phone number, or invoice she had used. Investigators established that all three elements — the website, the contact number, and the invoice — were fraudulent and had no affiliation with Bamburi Cement PLC.
Funds traced, suspects arrested
Financial investigations tracked the stolen funds from an account held by Florence Atieno Okoth to a second account belonging to Emmanuel Wekesa, also known as Brian Mulumba. The money was subsequently withdrawn through ATM transactions in Kitengela Town.
An intelligence-led operation spanning Uasin Gishu and Nairobi counties led to the arrest of five suspects: Florence Atieno Okoth, Dickson Alalwa Mabati, Kevin Ongaya Were, Kelvin Kibet Keter, and Emmanuel Wekesa, alias Brian Mulumba. All five have since been charged and arraigned in court.
The DCI urged members of the public to verify the authenticity of websites, sellers, and payment details before transferring money for any online purchase, warning that cyber-enabled fraud networks remain an active threat to consumers.
