A Nairobi court has heard how a man allegedly impersonated Head of Public Service Felix Koskei to demand a Ksh10 million bribe from a senior government engineer.
In a statement on Monday, January 19, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) said the accused, Seth Omosira Osumo, denied the charges when he was arraigned.
"A Nairobi court has today heard how a man allegedly impersonated Head of Public Service Felix Koskei to demand a Ksh10 million bribe from a senior government engineer. Seth Omosira Osumo pleaded not guilty before Milimani Anti-Corruption Court Senior Principal Magistrate Hon. Celesa Okore," the statement read.
The ODPP went on to outline the charges facing the accused, which include impersonation and bribery-related offences.
"Osumo is charged with three counts, including personating a person employed in the public service contrary to Section 105(b) of the Penal Code and two counts of bribery contrary to Section 6(1)(a) as read with Section 18 of the Anti-Bribery Act," the statement added.
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According to the ODPP, the court was also told that the alleged offences occurred over two days in January 2026, during which the accused is said to have misrepresented himself to the complainant.
"The court heard that on January 14 and 15, 2026, within Nairobi County, Osumo falsely represented himself to Engineer Kenneth Njuguna Mbogori as the Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service, Mr. Felix Koskei, and demanded Ksh10 million to protect Engineer Mbogori's position as a Regional Director at the Kenya Rural Roads Authority," the statement continued.
According to the statement, prosecutors further detailed an alleged request and receipt of money by the accused during the same period.
"The court also heard that on January 14, 2026, being a private person, Osumo requested the financial advantage of Ksh10 million from Engineer Mbogori. On January 15, 2026, the court also heard that he received Ksh30,000 from the engineer with the same intent to protect his position," the statement further read.
The prosecution asked the court to impose strict bond terms and raised concerns about potential interference with evidence.
It applied for strict bond terms including the provision of a contact surety, surrender of the accused's passport, and a requirement to seek court permission for any travel outside the court's jurisdiction.
"The prosecution also requested two weeks to supply the defence with documentary exhibits and witness statements and opposed the release of the accused's two mobile phones, which they intend to use as exhibits," the statement noted.
In ruling on the matter, the court agreed with the prosecution on the handling of the seized devices.
The magistrate granted the accused a bond of Ksh1 million or a cash bail of Ksh400,000.
She also ordered him to surrender his passport and all travel documents to the court pending the hearing and determination of the case.
"I am satisfied with the explanations given by the prosecution counsel on the issues regarding confiscation of the mobile phones belonging to the accused person,” said Okore.
The prosecution was directed to supply all witness statements and documentary evidence to the defence within fourteen days.
The case will be mentioned on February 2, 2026, to confirm compliance with the pretrial directives and for further directions.
This comes months after detectives arrested and charged two university students accused of running fake social media accounts impersonating senior government officials.
In a statement on Tuesday, April 14, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said Tony Blair Okello and his accomplice Tyson Odhiambo Otieno ran the accounts in a plot to defraud unsuspecting Kenyans.
The two were arraigned at the Kahawa Law Courts following their arrest in Bungoma County.
According to the DCI, investigation showed that Tyson had been operating a network of fake social media accounts that he sells to other individuals after training them on how to scam victims online.
"The investigation established that Tyson, a tech savvy, has been opening such numerous accounts, which he then sells to other persons after training them on how to run the scamming venture.
"In the case presented in court, Tony Blair is one such student of Tyson, who has been personating the PS Interior, Dr. Raymond Omollo," the statement added.
