Five suspects have been arrested and charged over an online fraud scheme in which a woman lost KSh742,000 while attempting to purchase cement from a fake website impersonating Bamburi Cement PLC.
The suspects were arrested following investigations by detectives into the incident, which occurred in August 2025 when the complainant was sourcing 1,400 bags of cement for a family construction project in Ruiru.
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the woman came across a website purporting to represent Bamburi Cement PLC and contacted the telephone number listed on the platform.
She was subsequently directed to WhatsApp, where she negotiated the purchase at KSh530 per bag. After agreeing on the price, she received an invoice demanding KSh742,000 for the entire consignment.
The complainant was instructed to transfer the money through the Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) system to a local bank account allegedly held in the name of Bamburi Cement Limited.
On August 23, 2025, she transferred the full amount, expecting the cement to be delivered to her.
However, the consignment never arrived, and attempts to contact the purported supplier were unsuccessful.
She later reached out to Bamburi Cement PLC to establish the status of her order, only to discover that the company had no knowledge of the transaction. She subsequently reported the matter to the police.Investigations established that the website, telephone number and invoice used to facilitate the transaction were fraudulent and had no connection or authorisation from Bamburi Cement PLC.
Financial investigations further traced the money from a bank account operated by Florence Atieno Okoth to another account belonging to Emmanuel Wekesa, also known as Brian Mulumba.
Detectives established that the funds were later withdrawn through ATM transactions in Kitengela Town.
Following an intelligence-led operation conducted in Uasin Gishu and Nairobi counties, detectives arrested five suspects identified as Florence Atieno Okoth, Dickson Alalwa Mabati, Kevin Ongaya Were, Kelvin Kibet Keter and Emmanuel Wekesa, alias Brian Mulumba.
The five suspects have since been arraigned in court and charged over their alleged involvement in the fraud.
The DCI has cautioned members of the public against falling victim to online shopping scams, urging buyers to verify websites, sellers, payment details and business transactions before sending money.
The agency has also reiterated its commitment to tracking down individuals involved in cyber-enabled fraud and dismantling criminal networks behind financial crimes.
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