By Kelly Were
On May 26, 2025, at the Milimani Law Courts, a case unfolded that has stirred fresh concerns over the rise of cryptocurrency fraud in Kenya.
Two individuals, Jesus Godoua Imedil and Judith Mbatha Nzioka, were arraigned on charges of defrauding a foreign national, Tuyishime Grace, of over 15 million Kenyan shillings in digital currency.
The incident occurred on April 30, 2025, at the luxurious Serena Hotel in Nairobi, where the accused allegedly lured the victim into a false cryptocurrency deal.
The court was told that the suspects presented themselves as experienced crypto traders operating through the Binance platform.
Using deceptive tactics and digital manipulation, they convinced Tuyishime Grace to transfer 116,000 USDT — a stablecoin pegged to the U.S. dollar — into their control. The prosecution claimed the funds were never recovered.
The first accused, Jesus Godoua, was initially believed to be a student at the University of Nairobi. However, during the court proceedings, he strongly refuted that claim, declaring, “I am not a university student.”
He explained that he was in Kenya only briefly while en route from Cairo, where he claimed to be working officially.
Both individuals face two primary charges. The first is conspiracy to defraud, in violation of Section 317 of the Penal Code.
The second charge is obtaining money by false pretenses, under Section 313. The prosecution also argued that the accused falsely claimed to be Binance intermediaries, taking advantage of the victim’s lack of familiarity with cryptocurrency transactions.
In a bid to keep the suspects in custody, the prosecution argued that the accused posed a flight risk and that releasing them might jeopardize the investigation.
However, Principal Magistrate Carolyne Nyaguthi Mugo disagreed, finding that the reasons for denying bail were insufficient.
She granted both accused persons bond, setting the terms at two million shillings each, with additional conditions.
Jesus Godoua was released on a bond of two million shillings with two sureties and was required to surrender his passport to the court.
Judith Nzioka was also granted a two-million-shilling bond, with an option of a one-million-shilling cash bail supported by two sureties.
Further conditions were imposed: the accused are forbidden from contacting witnesses and are required to report to a police station every two weeks.
During the hearing, Nzioka requested that the court allow her to use funds confiscated at the time of arrest — 200,000 Kenyan shillings and 600 U.S. dollars — to post bail.
The investigating officer, however, opposed the request, arguing that the money was suspected to be proceeds of the crime.
