A man facing charges over alleged fraud involving more than Sh96 million has been remanded in custody following his arrest in Kericho.
Albert Komen Kipkechem, also known as Jonathan Kiptum Barmasai, was on Thursday presented before Milimani Senior Principal Magistrate Teresia Nyangena under a warrant of arrest after failing to attend court proceedings while out on bail.
The prosecution opposed his release, saying his surety bond had been forfeited to the State after he missed three court appearances.
Kipkechem's lawyer, Alfred Achioya, asked the court to reinstate his previous bond terms, citing his client's illness.
The magistrate declined the application and ordered that Kipkechem be detained until November 5, when his sureties are expected to appear in court and explain why he failed to attend the scheduled hearings.
Kipkechem is facing two separate criminal cases involving alleged unauthorised access to computer systems belonging to a local bank and Eclectic International.
He is accused of fraudulently withdrawing Sh44 million in one case and Sh52 million in another. He had been released on cash bail of Sh1.5 million and Sh500,000, respectively, before missing scheduled court appearances.
His failure to attend court led to the issuance of warrants of arrest, prompting the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to issue a public appeal for information that could assist in tracing him.
In a statement issued in March, the DCI said Kipkechem had been charged on March 3 and March 12, 2026, with offences under the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act, 2018.
The charges include access with intent to commit a further offence under Section 15(1) and computer fraud under Section 26(1)(b) of the Act.
The DCI had linked him to an alleged fraud scheme involving a payment service provider, a local bank and a savings and credit co-operative society (SACCO), in which more than KSh52 million was reportedly lost in June 2025.
According to the agency, investigations by detectives from the Economic and Commercial Crimes Unit, working with the Cyber Fusion Unit at the Central Bank of Kenya, indicated that the suspect allegedly used remote-access software to gain unauthorised entry into payment platforms and banking systems.
The agency said the transactions were processed outside the normal payment channels before the alleged fraud was detected.
Detectives subsequently arrested Kipkechem in Nairobi's Thome area and searched his residence in Nakuru.
The DCI said the search led to the recovery of electronic devices, identity cards suspected to have been fraudulently registered, a money-counting machine, cash, several SIM cards and ATM cards registered in other people's names.
Investigators also recovered a Congolese passport bearing Kipkechem's photograph but issued in the name of Katempa Ngoy Alexisa, alongside a Congolese identity card bearing the same name.
The agency said the recovered items were suspected to be linked to the alleged criminal activities.
Kipkechem was initially arraigned in court, where he denied the charges and was released on bail.
However, after he failed to attend subsequent court proceedings, the DCI issued a public alert on September 21, 2026, seeking information to facilitate his arrest.
The agency identified him as a resident of Baringo North Sub-County, Kabartonjo Division, in Baringo County.
His arrest in Kericho has resulted in his return to court, where he will remain in custody pending the November 5 hearing on his sureties' explanation for his repeated absence.
