The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has arrested a 26-year-old university dropout who allegedly hacked into a major betting company and stole Ksh11.4 million.
The suspect, a second-year IT student who abandoned his studies at the University of Meru, was tracked down and arrested in his two-bedroom apartment in Tatu City.
Investigators say the young man bypassed advanced digital security systems before making away with the millions. His case has once again exposed the rising threat of cybercrime in Kenya’s financial and betting sectors.
Hacking Betting Firm Case Exposes Rising Digital Crime
The DCI says it started investigating the case in July, after the betting company reported a loss of Ksh11.4 million. Detectives established that the suspect had infiltrated the company’s payment systems and manipulated its security protocols.
Regional Criminal Investigations Officer, Central Region, Abraham Mugambi, confirmed that the suspect was not new to such crimes. He revealed that the dropout had attempted several similar hacks targeting high-profile brands.
“This year in July, a report was made that a payment service provider had lost Ksh11.4 million through fraudulent means. Investigations commenced, and DCI experts discovered that the fraud was committed after the suspect bypassed the security systems of the company,” Mugambi explained.
When confronted, the suspect told officers that he was not a thief but a cybersecurity engineer conducting independent consultancy. “This is what I do,” he reportedly told detectives.
How the Operation Unfolded
Detectives trailed the suspect for weeks before finally arresting him in his Tatu City residence on Saturday, August 30. Inside the apartment, officers found laptops, desktop computers, a safe, a money-counting machine, and other digital tools believed to have been used in the crime.
The arrest, according to Mugambi, was a warning shot to tech-savvy criminals attempting to exploit Kenya’s fast-growing digital economy. He stressed that the police are determined to stay ahead of cybercriminals.
“We are grappling with white-collar crime, particularly computer crimes, but I want to assure the public that the National Police Service is up to the task. Criminals can run, but they cannot hide from us,” Mugambi said.
The DCI is now analyzing the seized gadgets to establish whether the suspect was working alone or had a larger network of accomplices.
Pattern of Cybercrime in Kenya
This is not the first time Kenya has been shaken by a hacking scandal. In May this year, detectives arrested five suspects accused of siphoning Ksh3.2 million from bank accounts. That operation was triggered by an unrelated mobile phone theft in Nairobi, which later led police to uncover the hacking scheme.
“Authorities have arraigned five savvy fraudsters who orchestrated a sophisticated hacking scheme, draining over Ksh3.2 million from a victim’s bank accounts,” the DCI said in a statement then.
With the betting industry handling billions every year, experts warn that weak digital infrastructure leaves companies vulnerable to criminals. The latest arrest is now putting more pressure on betting firms and financial institutions to invest in stronger cybersecurity systems.
Cybersecurity experts say the problem is only going to grow. Many young Kenyans, often with IT training but without formal employment, are being lured into digital fraud. The promise of quick wealth is pushing some to abandon legitimate careers for high-stakes crime.
The DCI maintains that its digital crime unit is expanding its expertise and resources to keep pace with the evolving tactics of hackers. But the question remains whether law enforcement can move fast enough to stop a new wave of cybercriminals, often more advanced than the companies they target.
