Seth Mwabe Okwanyo a 26-year-old Meru University dropout has been detained for one day pending the conclusion of investigations. Okwanyo was arrested by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), in connection with hacking into a betting firm and siphoning Ksh11.4 million.
Court filings seen by the press show that Okwanyo was apprehended on August 30, 2025, at his Nairobi residence and presented before the Chief Magistrate’s Court at Milimani Law Courts under Miscellaneous Criminal Application No. E2362 of 2025.
The application was filed by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) through the Banking Fraud Investigation Unit (BFIU), which is probing the case.
According to an affidavit by investigators, the case revolves around fraudulent transactions valued at Sh11,410,165, allegedly siphoned through the Pesalink platform and routed via Diamond Trust Bank (DTB) accounts.
The complainant, Arifsend Money Transfer Limited, reported to the BFIU on July 26, 2025, that 53 suspicious transactions had been executed, bypassing internal security and fraud detection systems.
Investigators believe Okwanyo, a cybersecurity consultant specializing in vulnerability assessment and penetration testing (VAPT), provided fraudulent application links and specific instructions that facilitated the siphoning of funds.
During the arrest the detectives discovered a heavily equipped computer laboratory, a money counting machine, and a safe in the suspect’s apartment.
According to Central Region Criminal Investigations Officer Abraham Mugambe, the betting firm made a complaint to the DCI in July, and detectives immediately launched an investigation.
Mugambi noted that investigations revealed that the suspect stole the millions after he bypassed the security systems of the betting firm’s payment service provider.
“This year, in July, a report was made to the Banking Fraud Investigations Unit in Nairobi that a payment service provider had lost Ksh11.4 million through fraudulent means.
“Investigations commenced and a DCI team of experts from Banking Fraud Unit launched investigations, and they established that the fraud was done through bypassing the payment service provider security systems, and they succeeded in defrauding the complainant of Ksh11.4 million,” said Mugambe.
Mwabe, who describes himself as a cybersecurity engineer and consultant, told detectives that he dropped out of university in his second year.
The case underscores growing concerns over cyber-enabled financial fraud in Kenya, particularly involving mobile and online banking platforms. With financial institutions increasingly relying on digital channels, experts warn that insider knowledge and weak system oversight make banks vulnerable to sophisticated fraud schemes.
If charged and convicted, Okwanyo could face heavy penalties, including long-term imprisonment and asset forfeiture under Kenya’s cybercrime and anti-money laundering laws
