Foreign nationals from South Africa and Dubai were nearly conned out of $4,500 (Sh5,782,500) in registration fees for bogus tenders to construct two stadiums for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). These foreigners had been led to believe they would meet officials from the Interior and Sports ministries, as well as senators from the parliamentary Budget and Sports committees, to secure the tenders.
Details of the foiled scam, intercepted by intelligence officers, were revealed in an affidavit by Inspector of Police Nicholas Njoroge from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters. The DCI is seeking court orders to detain Salim Swaleh, the press services director at Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi’s office, along with five others, to finalize investigations into the alleged fraud.
The suspects were arrested at Salim’s office while meeting the foreigners. Alongside Salim, the other suspects include Michale Japolo Otieno, Terry Kemunto Sese, Daniel Omondi John Musundi, and James William Makokha. Salim was arrested for facilitating the meeting at his office.
According to Njoroge’s affidavit filed at the Milimani Law Courts in Nairobi, Michale Otieno posed as the chairman of the government delivery unit at the Prime Cabinet Secretary’s office, claiming he could expedite the tendering process for the foreigners.
Njoroge, part of the DCI’s Operation Support Unit (OSU), requested Senior Principal Magistrate Benmark Ekhumbi to detain the suspects at Capitol Hill Police Station for 14 days. He cited the need to investigate charges of conspiracy to commit a felony, attempted fraud, impersonation of a public official, and abuse of office.
Njoroge pointed out breaches in security protocols allowing the foreigners into the Kenya Railways headquarters office and indicated ongoing investigations into these lapses. He also mentioned the need to interview a UAE-based contractor, another fraud victim, and obtain company registration details from relevant offices in Kenya, Dubai, and South Africa. He expressed concern that releasing the suspects could interfere with the investigations.
Defense lawyers Danstan Omari, Samuel Nyamberi, and Shandrack Wambui opposed the DCI’s application, arguing that their clients did not need to be in custody for the investigation. They requested a cash bail of Sh200,000 for all the suspects except Sese, for whom they sought more lenient terms.
The suspects will remain in custody at Capitol Hill station until Tuesday, when the court will issue its ruling.
