A Nairobi court has allowed detectives to hold two men for five days as investigations continue into an alleged SIM swap fraud network targeting bank and mobile money accounts.
Cyrus Mochache Bosire and Ronald Langat were arrested on October 2,2026 in Utawala and presented before Milimani Chief Magistrate Gethi Kibiru.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) had sought 15 days to keep the suspects at Gigiri Police Station, but the court granted five days.
Police are investigating the two over suspected theft, forgery, personation, computer fraud, unauthorised access to personal data and misuse of electronic information.
According to investigators, the suspected syndicate takes control of mobile numbers belonging to Kenyan and foreign nationals before using them to access their financial accounts.
One case involves Dorice Achieng Omolo, who travelled to London on September 10.
Police allege that her Safaricom line was replaced fraudulently on the same day.
Investigators say the suspects then accessed her UN DT Sacco account and withdrew Sh7.5 million. They also allege that a Sh10 million loan was obtained fraudulently and transferred through several M-Pesa and bank accounts.
Police told the court that some of the money had been traced to accounts linked to the two suspects.
The investigation has also raised questions over how the alleged syndicate may have obtained travellers' personal information from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
Detectives are examining a Mazda CX-5, registration KDR 293F, which was captured by CCTV at Two Rivers Mall around the time Omolo's line was allegedly swapped.
Police want records from the National Transport and Safety Authority to establish the vehicle's owner and determine whether it is connected to the case.
Mobile phones recovered from the suspects allegedly contain messages relating to withdrawals from Omolo's Sacco account.
The devices are yet to undergo forensic examination by DCI cybercrime officers.
Officers also recovered 13 Kenyan identity cards and five airline tickets. Investigators will verify the documents to establish their owners and determine how they may be linked to the alleged offences.
The DCI said it still needs to interview more than 15 witnesses and victims, analyse electronic devices and financial records, trace the money and identify other suspected members of the network.
Detectives opposed the suspects' release, arguing that they could interfere with witnesses, contact other suspects or tamper with evidence.
The court will allow investigators five days to carry out the pending inquiries.
