Two in court over fake Ksh.22.4M edible oil supply deal

Two suspects were arraigned at a Nairobi court on Wednesday over a fictitious edible oil supply deal that defrauded five businessmen over Ksh.22.4 million.

Teresia Wanjiku Boru and Hosea Munge Mbugu are accused of orchestrating the scam in January 2024.

Detectives say Mr Munge approached businessmen operating in Nairobi’s City Market with a business proposition: that Ms Boru had secured a lucrative tender with the United Nations food aid agency World Food Program (WFP) to supply edible oil to the Kakuma refugee camp in Turkana County.

“With promises of immense profits, Munge persuaded the victims to invest their hard-earned money into the fake venture,” the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) says.

Police say the duo even took the businessmen to Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County, to meet two individuals masquerading as WFP officials.

“They signed a fabricated agreement, sealed the deal, and handed over their funds only to watch the fraudsters vanish into thin air, severing all communication and leaving the victims in despair,” the DCI adds.

Ms Moru was arrested in Naro Moru, Nyeri County, while Munge was captured in Nairobi.

Wanjiku was denied bond due to an outstanding warrant for her failure to appear in a previous court case.

Munge was, meanwhile, a Ksh.900,000 bond with a similar surety or a cash bail option of Ksh.400,000.