Court Releases University Dropout Accused of Hacking Betting Firm in Ksh 11.4M Fraud Case
A Nairobi court has released a university dropout accused of hacking a betting company and stealing millions of shillings. The suspect, identified as Seth Mwabe Okwanyo, was granted bail after the court dismissed an application by the prosecution to keep him in custody for a longer period.
On September 3, 2025, Magistrate Benmark Ekhubi ruled against the request by prosecutors who wanted Okwanyo detained for an additional 20 days to allow further investigations. Instead, the magistrate set his release terms at a Ksh1 million bond or Ksh500,000 cash bail, giving him temporary freedom as the case proceeds.
Okwanyo, who describes himself as a self-taught cybersecurity consultant and software developer, is facing accusations of committing a Ksh11.4 million cyber fraud against a local betting company. According to the charge sheet, he allegedly exploited digital platforms and carried out multiple transactions that led to the fraudulent transfer of millions of shillings into his personal account.
In his defence before the court, Okwanyo explained that he had been testing a computer program he had developed when the money unexpectedly reflected in his account. He insisted that he had no intention of stealing the funds and claimed he was equally surprised by the outcome.
The lead investigator told the court that the accused used advanced IT knowledge and created a fake Telegram bot to manipulate the Pesalink system. Through this method, he is said to have conducted a series of fraudulent transactions that siphoned large amounts of money from the betting company.
Okwanyo was arrested on August 30, 2025, during a raid at an apartment in Tatu City. Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) apprehended him and later charged him under the Computer Misuse and Cybercrime Act, a law that criminalizes hacking, fraud, and other online offences.
While granting bail, Magistrate Ekhubi cautioned the suspect against interfering with ongoing investigations.
“I therefore ask you not to in any way interfere with the investigations. If you interfere, you will be breaching the condition of your bond,” he warned in court.
The case is still under investigation, and authorities say more details will be revealed as the trial continues in the coming weeks.
The ruling has sparked public interest given the growing number of cybercrime incidents in Kenya, especially those targeting financial and betting platforms.
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