Nairobi: A Man Receives Ksh 250,000 Via Mpesa Account, Withdraws Ksh 150,000 Before Being Arrested

A man from Dandora, Nairobi, has been convicted after admitting to withdrawing and spending KSh 150,000 out of KSh 250,000 that was mistakenly transferred to his M-Pesa account.

The suspect appeared before the Senior Principal Magistrate’s Court at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on Monday, October 26, 2026, where he pleaded guilty to five charges relating to the incident.

According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the incident occurred on September 4 when a complainant accidentally transferred KSh 250,000 to the man’s mobile money account.

Rather than return the funds, the recipient reportedly withdrew part of the money, prompting investigations into the transaction.

Detectives based at Wilson Airport launched a probe to establish how the money was received and trace its movement. They subsequently obtained a court order allowing them to examine the suspect’s bank account.

Investigations revealed that he had withdrawn KSh 150,000 through three separate transactions. However, the bank managed to freeze the remaining balance before he could access it.

Following the investigation, detectives tracked down the suspect and arrested him on October 23 at his hideout near a petrol station in Dandora.

He was later arraigned and charged with five offences, including deliberately retaining electronic money transferred to him by mistake. He admitted to the charges and was convicted.

The court has remanded him in custody until November 17, 2026, when he is expected to be sentenced.

Following the case, the DCI cautioned members of the public against spending or retaining money accidentally deposited into their mobile money or bank accounts.

The agency cited Section 35 of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act, 2018, which makes it an offence to knowingly retain electronic money received in error.

The DCI advised anyone who receives an unintended transfer to contact the relevant financial institution immediately and follow the official procedure for reversing the transaction.

It stressed that receiving money by mistake does not make the funds the recipient’s property and that deliberately refusing to return such money can lead to criminal prosecution.

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