Three Kenyans to Be Extradited to the US Over Alleged Multi-Million Cyber Fraud Scheme
A Nairobi court has approved the extradition of three Kenyan nationals to the United States to face cybercrime charges, including wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
The ruling allows Francis Asanyo, Peter Omari and Elvis Obaigwa to be transferred to Virginia for prosecution. Principal Magistrate Paul Kiprotich Mutai delivered the decision at the Milimani Law Courts after finding that the legal requirements for extradition had been met. The request was submitted earlier this year by the US.
Department of Justice through Kenya’s Central Authority. After reviewing the supporting documents, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions asked the court to approve the extradition. The court also recognised warrants of arrest issued in 2023 by the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Richmond Division, and ordered that the three men remain at Industrial Area Prison until they are transferred.
According to investigators, the suspects operated a Business Email Compromise (BEC) scheme that targeted organisations in the United States. They are accused of registering internet domains that closely resembled those of legitimate organisations and using fraudulent email accounts to persuade employees to redirect payments.
The funds were allegedly transferred through money mules in the United States before being laundered back to Kenya. The FBI has identified BEC fraud as one of the most costly forms of cybercrime in financial terms.
The ruling comes as concerns grow over Kenya’s exposure to cybercrime. An INTERPOL assessment published this year identified the country as one of the most vulnerable digital environments in East Africa. The report recorded tens of thousands of Distributed Denial-of-Service attacks and a sharp increase in SIM swap fraud.
It also estimated that losses from mobile money theft reached nearly half a billion shillings in 2025. The extradition process will now move to the next stage as arrangements are made to transfer the suspects to the United States.
