Detectives have arrested five suspects accused of creating a fake Bamburi Cement website and conning a woman out of KSh742,000 in an elaborate online fraud scheme.
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the incident dates back to August 2025, when the complainant was sourcing 1,400 bags of cement for a family construction project in Ruiru.
She stumbled upon a website purporting to represent Bamburi Cement PLC and contacted the number provided. She was subsequently directed to WhatsApp, where negotiations were conducted.
The deal was sealed at KSh530 per bag, and the woman received an invoice demanding KSh742,000. She was instructed to transfer the full amount through RTGS to a local bank account purportedly held in the name of Bamburi Cement Limited.
On August 23, 2025, she transferred the money, expecting the cement to be delivered. However, the consignment never arrived, and attempts to reach the supposed supplier proved futile.
She later contacted Bamburi Cement PLC, 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 in the transaction were fraudulent and had no affiliation with Bamburi Cement PLC.
Further financial investigations traced the money from an account operated by Florence Atieno Okoth to another account operated by Emmanuel Wekesa, alias Brian Mulumba. The funds were later withdrawn through ATM transactions in Kitengela Town.
Following an intelligence-led operation 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 accordingly.
