NAIROBI, Kenya- A couple has been charged with 41 counts over an alleged multi-million-shilling pension fraud scheme targeting retirement benefit schemes linked to several major companies and public institutions in Kenya.
Alex Okoth Nalwenje and his wife, Esther Nyambura Kamande, appeared before Kibera Chief Magistrate Stella Atambo, where they denied all the charges brought against them by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
The prosecution alleges that the two, alongside other individuals who have not been brought before the court, orchestrated a scheme involving the irregular insertion of names into the payrolls of several pension schemes to fraudulently obtain retirement benefits.
Among the affected schemes are those associated with Ernst & Young, Swissport, the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS), Nestlé, Cadbury and Nokia.
According to the prosecution, the accused allegedly presented individuals who were neither genuine nor eligible beneficiaries as legitimate pension claimants, thereby inducing the respective schemes to release retirement and other related benefits.
The 41 charges include conspiracy to defraud, contrary to Section 317 of the Penal Code, and obtaining money by false pretences under Section 313.
They also face charges of fraudulent false accounting under Section 330(b) of the Penal Code, alongside offences relating to the acquisition, possession and use of proceeds of crime under the Proceeds of Crime and Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2009.
Court Grants Couple Sh4 Million Bond
The prosecution team, led by Senior Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Maryann Mwangi and Principal Prosecution Counsel Michael Mutune, did not oppose the accused persons’ applications for bail.
However, the prosecutors urged the court to consider the seriousness of the charges when determining the terms of their release.
Chief Magistrate Atambo subsequently granted Nalwenje a bond of Sh3 million.
His wife, Kamande, was granted a bond of Sh1 million with one surety of a similar amount or an alternative cash bail of Sh1 million.
The court also directed both accused persons to surrender their passports and report to the investigating officer once every month unless otherwise directed.
The case will be mentioned on November 17, 2026, for pre-trial directions.
