Detectives from the Investigations Bureau attached to the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum have arraigned three suspects for their involvement in a fraudulent scheme that resulted in the theft of Ksh22,151,983 from the National Oil Corporation of Kenya.
In a statement on Thursday, January 29, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) revealed that a husband-and-wife duo, along with an accomplice, orchestrated an elaborate fraud that siphoned millions of shillings from the state corporation.
The arrests followed a complaint lodged by the National Oil Corporation regarding the theft and misappropriation of substantial funds. Investigations revealed that Gladys Kahaki Njubi, a former Assistant Accountant at the corporation, was the mastermind behind the fraudulent activities.
According to the DCI, Gladys conspired with her husband, Griffin Nyakang'o Omwenga, and a third accomplice, Nehemia Onyunge Kibegwa, to misappropriate the funds before she resigned from her position at the corporation.
Detectives discovered that Griffin had established five companies: Zoccom Enterprises Limited, Eceny Ventures Limited, Earthcare Supplier Services, Sparktec Ventures Limited, and Jaffer Petrofill Africa Limited. Shockingly, these companies received nearly Ksh22 million for purported services despite never having bid for any contracts or conducted any legitimate business with the National Oil Corporation.
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Gladys, in her capacity as assistant payable accountant responsible for processing payments at the corporation, exploited her position to execute the fraud.
To avoid detection, she used authentic documents from legitimate companies that had been contracted by the National Oil Corporation, ensuring that her husband's companies remained undetected by signatories.
The third suspect, Nehemia Onyunge Kibegwa, who is the director of Kensons Constructions Limited, also benefitted from the scheme, receiving millions of shillings despite having no prior bidding process or engagement with the corporation.
After completing the investigation, detectives forwarded the case file to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), which reviewed and approved charges against the trio.
The three suspects were arrested on January 28, 2026, and detained at Akila Police Station. They were subsequently arraigned before Kibera Law Courts on Thursday, where they pleaded not guilty to charges including conspiracy to defraud, theft by servant, forgery, and possession of proceeds of crime, among other offences.
The court remanded the suspects pending a bond ruling scheduled for February 4, 2026.
