FOUR SUSPECTS RECHARGED IN SIM SWAP FRAUD TARGETINNG FORMER POLICE OCS

Four individuals accused of fraudulently swapping a SIM card belonging to former Central Police OCS Taalam Samson Kiprotich were re-arraigned on Wednesday, September 3, 2025 before the Milimani Law Courts. The suspects Brian Ronoh Kiprotich, Amos Nzomo Kimanzi, James Mutemi Munyithya, and Dennis Masavi Musyimi faced 13 fresh charges, including conspiracy to commit a felony, computer fraud, identity theft, and unlawful possession of identity cards. They all pleaded not guilty.

The men conspired between June 16, 2025 and 19, 2025, to fraudulently replace Talaam’s Safaricom SIM card and use it to unlawfully solicit money from members of the public. Kiprotich later accessed Talaam’s M-Pesa account and withdrew funds using confidential PINs. Kiprotich was arrested in Embakasi Pipeline on July 20, 2025, in possession of at least seven different identity cards.

According to the prosecution, the charges stemmed from a SIM swap scheme allegedly used to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information. Danstan Omari, representing the victims, urged the court to reconsider the suspects’ bail terms, citing the seriousness of the charges and the potential threat posed to the public. He further alleged that the accused had irregularly accessed an exhibit held by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), suggesting they may have undue influence.

Omari called for the cancellation of their bail and requested a pre-bail report to assist the court in making a decision. The defence opposed the request, arguing that there had been no changes in circumstances since the initial bail ruling. They emphasized that bail is a constitutional right and urged the court to maintain the existing terms set by Magistrate Dolphina Alego.

In her ruling, Magistrate Caroline Nyanguthi found no compelling grounds to revise the bail conditions. She noted that the second, third, and fourth accused had complied with bond terms and had not interfered with investigations. The first accused, who had been in custody for over two months, was also acknowledged as a first-time offender. The prosecution confirmed it had no objection to the continuation of bail.

The case is set to be mentioned at a later date.