Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have arrested Elias Kemboi Korir, an official of the Woman and Youth Against Aids and Poverty (WAYAAP) Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), over allegations of fraud.
In a statement released on December 17, DCI confirmed that Kemboi was apprehended at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) while attempting to flee the country.
According to DCI, Kemboi is a repeat offender linked to multiple fraud cases targeting business enterprises.
“Being a key official in the NGO that poses as a charity organization supporting vulnerable members of society, Kemboi has been using his office to lure individuals and entities with enticing tender offers, only to disappear with the deliveries after the supplies are made,” DCI stated.
One of the major cases against Kemboi involves a fraudulent scheme where he, alongside an accomplice, Halima Samson Mwongela, conspired to defraud three suppliers of goods valued at Ksh32.8 million.
The duo claimed the goods were meant for distribution as aid to vulnerable people under WAYAAP. However, after receiving the supplies, the NGO officials reportedly sold them in local markets and went into hiding.
Attempts by the affected businesses to recover their goods or money were met with intimidation and frustration, prompting them to escalate the matter to the DCI Headquarters.
The DCI’s Operation Support Unit took over the case, launching an extensive manhunt for the suspects.
Upon realizing that investigators were closing in, Kemboi attempted to escape the country but was intercepted by detectives at JKIA on Wednesday afternoon.
The DCI confirmed that Kemboi is currently in custody and will be arraigned at the Milimani Law Courts on Thursday, December 18.
The DCI urged individuals or business entities who may have fallen victim to WAYAAP or its officials to report to DCI Headquarters for further assistance.
This arrest highlights ongoing efforts to crack down on fraudulent activities targeting businesses under the guise of charity organizations.
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