Mother and Son Charged With Hacking Bank Account and Stealing Millions in Nairobi
A Nairobi court has ordered the detention of a mother and her son over allegations of hacking a bank account through a fraudulent SIM swap scheme.
The case, heard at the Milimani Law Courts, involves Ruth Kinya and her son Brian Kithinji Bundi. They are accused of targeting the account of Amos Kipruto Chemonges, a Kenyan aid worker based in Ethiopia. According to investigators, the suspects interfered with his mobile banking access after his Safaricom line was unlawfully swapped.
Chemonges reported unusual activity on his account in January 2026, prompting an inquiry by the Central Bank of Kenya’s Banking Fraud Investigations Unit. Detectives established that the SIM swap enabled unauthorised access to his financial services.
Although the account initially held limited funds, the suspects allegedly used the access to obtain loans and incur credit card charges. Investigators stated that Sh886,000 was secured through a top-up loan, Sh262,000 through credit card transactions, and Sh150,000 via a digital loan.
The total comes to about Sh1.3 million, while overall losses, including transfers and attempted withdrawals, are estimated to exceed Sh4.5 million. Evidence presented in court indicated that the funds were traced to mobile numbers linked to Bundi and his mother.
Kinya, who operates an M-Pesa outlet, is alleged to have transferred money to her son and other individuals. Bundi’s attempt to withdraw the funds was unsuccessful after Safaricom suspended his account, leading him to seek assistance at the company’s headquarters.
A Central Bank investigator told the court that the case involves several offences, including theft and handling proceeds of crime under Kenya’s anti-money laundering laws. He said the investigation requires a detailed forensic analysis of electronic devices.
The magistrate authorised the detention of the suspects for five days at Capitol Hill Police Station, citing the complexity of the case and its public importance. They are scheduled to return to court on 1 April 2026 for further directions.
