This archive report was first published on 29 June 2021.
On June 28, a Nairobi court handed down a three-month jail sentence to Cyrus Maithya for refusing to return Ksh16,463 mistakenly sent to him via a mobile money app.
Maithya pleaded guilty to the charge before Nairobi Senior Principal Magistrate Martha Nazushi, who asked him to return the money to its rightful owner.
However, Maithya claimed he had already used the money, leaving the magistrate with little choice but to sentence him.
Maithya's case is not an isolated incident, as a similar case in 2017 saw a woman jailed for six months for using Sh27,140 accidentally sent to her through a mobile money app.
According to the Computer and Cyber Crimes Act, 2018, intentionally hiding or holding electronic messages, including electronic payments, credit, and debit card details sent in error, is a punishable offense.
