DCI Arrests Wanted Man as Court Cancels Ksh2 Million Bond

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has arrested Albert Komen Kipkechem, who had been wanted over criminal charges pending before the Milimani Law Courts.

Komen was charged before the Milimani Law Courts on March 3 and March 12 with offences relating to unauthorised access to a computer system and computer fraud.

The DCI had earlier appealed for information on his whereabouts after warrants of arrest were issued against him. 

He had been granted cash bail amounting to Ksh1.5 million in one case and Ksh500,000 in another, bringing the total bail amount to Ksh2 million.

However, Komen failed to attend subsequent court sessions as required, prompting the court to issue warrants for his arrest.

The DCI later traced and arrested the suspect before presenting him before the court to answer to the pending charges.

"The fugitive was arrested and arraigned before the court. His bond was cancelled and the judge ordered that he be remanded in custody," the agency said in an update on Friday, October 2.

The court's decision means Komen will remain in custody as the criminal proceedings against him continue.

Komen's case stemmed from two incidents in June 2025 that affected a payment service provider, a local bank and a SACCO.

The case was investigated by Economic and Commercial Crimes Unit detectives attached to the Cyber Fusion Unit at the Central Bank of Kenya after the affected institutions reported the transactions.

"Upon discovery of the fraud, the affected entities reported the matter to Economic and Commercial Crimes Unit detectives attached to the Cyber Fusion Unit at the Central Bank of Kenya, who recorded their statements and immediately launched investigations," the DCI said in a past report.

The investigation was conducted jointly with experts from the National Forensic Laboratory and the Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau. 

Investigators subsequently linked Komen to the alleged fraud after examining digital evidence and other material obtained from the affected institutions.

"Further investigations revealed that the modus operandi in both incidents was similar. It was established that the suspect used remote access software to gain unauthorized access to the payment platform and bank information systems and effected unauthorized transactions that did not follow the normal payment flow before the fraud was eventually detected," the DCI added.

Detectives later obtained court orders and search warrants before arresting Komen in the Thome area of Nairobi County. 

He was then escorted to his home in Nakuru, where investigators recovered several items suspected to have been connected to the alleged fraud.

"After collecting relevant digital artifacts from the affected institutions and obtaining the necessary court orders and search warrants, detectives arrested the suspect in Thome area within Nairobi County, and escorted him to his Nakuru home, where several items linked to the fraud were recovered," the DCI further said.

Among the items recovered were electronic gadgets, fraudulently registered identity cards, a money-counting machine, Kenyan currency, SIM cards from different telecommunications service providers and ATM cards registered in other people's names.

Investigators also recovered a Congolese passport bearing Komen's photograph but registered in the name Katempa Ngoy Alexisa. 

A Congolese identity card bearing the same name was also recovered, alongside other items that detectives believed had been used in the commission of the alleged offences.

The suspect was subsequently taken back to Nairobi and processed before being presented in court to face the charges.

"Upon arraignment, he pleaded not guilty to the charges and was remanded at Capitol Hill Police Station until March 12, 2026, when the court will give directions on his bail and bond terms," the DCI concluded.