Written by Were Kelly
Three individuals have been charged in connection with a suspected money laundering ring involving hundreds of thousands of shillings allegedly obtained through fraudulent means.
According to charge sheets filed by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), the accused – Millicent Makena Mwiti, Palmwiga Okoth, Bilad Steve, and others – face multiple counts under the Proceeds of Crime and Anti-Money Laundering Act, No. 9 of 2009.
The court heard that between 19th and 20th June 2025, the suspects knowingly received and dealt with various sums of money believed to be proceeds of crime. The funds were transacted through M-Pesa accounts registered under different names and linked to individuals already under investigation for financial fraud.
In the first count, Millicent Makena Mwiti is accused of acquiring KSh 38,900 from an M-Pesa account registered in the name of Jonah Karuki Nyambara, knowing or having reason to believe the funds were criminal proceeds. In an alternative count, she is charged with possessing the same funds under similar circumstances.
Mwiti also faces a separate charge of using KSh 38,900 in a transaction with Baystar Communication Limited, knowing the amount was part of illicit proceeds.
In other counts, Palmwiga Okoth is accused of being in possession of KSh 200,500, also allegedly received from Nyambara’s M-Pesa account. He faces an alternative charge of using KSh 200,500 in transactions with Daisy Odhiambo Otieno while knowing it was unlawfully obtained.
Bilad Steve faces similar charges, accused of acquiring KSh 200,500 from Daisy Odhiambo Otieno’s account and using part of the amount in transactions with Benov Printing & Metal Works in Kisumu’s Mamboleo Market.
The prosecution alleges that all accused persons were aware, or ought to have been aware, that the funds in question were derived from criminal activities, and that they either directly benefited from or facilitated the laundering of the illicit money.
The accused denied the charges and were released on bail pending the next hearing.
