Albert Komen Kipkechem, alias Jonathan Kiptum Barmasai, was arrested in Kericho and presented before Milimani Senior Principal Magistrate Teresia Nyangena under a warrant of arrest. Kipkechem had allegedly absconded court proceedings while out on bail, prompting the prosecution to request his detention. His lawyer, Alfred Achioya, asked the magistrate to reinstate his previous bond terms, citing his client's illness. However, the court declined the request, ordering Kipkechem to remain in custody until November 5.
Kipkechem faces two separate cybercrime cases involving alleged theft of KSh44 million and KSh52 million. He had been granted cash bail of KSh1.5 million and KSh500,000 in the two cases but failed to return to court for scheduled hearings. The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) had issued a public alert seeking information that could lead to his arrest after he skipped court proceedings. Kipkechem was charged on March 3 and March 12, 2026, with offences under the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act No. 5 of 2018.
The charges against Kipkechem include access with intent to commit a further offence under Section 15(1) and computer fraud under Section 26(1)(b) of the Act. According to the DCI, investigations by Economic and Commercial Crimes Unit detectives established that Kipkechem allegedly used remote-access software to gain unauthorised access to payment platforms and banking systems. The transactions were processed outside the normal payment flow before the fraud was detected.
Detectives linked Kipkechem to alleged fraud involving a payment service provider, a local bank, and a SACCO, where more than KSh52 million was lost in June 2025. Investigators arrested Kipkechem in the Thome area of Nairobi and searched his home in Nakuru, recovering electronic gadgets, suspected fraudulently registered identity cards, a money-counting machine, cash, several SIM cards, and ATM cards registered in other people's names.
A Congolese passport bearing Kipkechem's photograph but registered under the name Katempa Ngoy Alexisa was also recovered, alongside a Congolese identity card bearing the same name. The DCI said the items were among materials believed to have been used in the commission of the alleged fraud. Kipkechem was initially arraigned and pleaded not guilty to the charges before being released on bail.
The DCI later issued a September 21 alert after Kipkechem failed to honour his court attendance obligations. The agency described him as a resident of Baringo County, specifically Baringo North Sub-County, Kabartonjo Division. His latest arrest in Kericho has brought him back before the Milimani court, where he will remain in custody until November 5, when his sureties are expected to explain his repeated absence from court.
Kipkechem's sureties are expected to appear in court on November 5 to explain his failure to attend the proceedings as directed. The suspect's arrest in Kericho marks a significant breakthrough in the KSh96m cyber heist case. The DCI and other law enforcement agencies have been working to apprehend Kipkechem and bring him to justice.
Key points
- - Albert Komen Kipkechem was arrested in Kericho for allegedly skipping court proceedings three times while out on bail. - Kipkechem faces two separate cybercrime cases involving alleged theft of KSh44 million and KSh52 million. - The suspect will remain in custody until November 5, when his sureties are expected to explain his repeated absence from court.
