NAIROBI, Kenya- A Nairobi-based real estate company director has been charged with obtaining millions of shillings through false pretences in a case that has drawn attention to growing concerns about fraud in Kenya’s housing sector.
Abdiwahab Adan Maalim, the Director of Vaad Limited, appeared before the Chief Magistrate’s Court at the Milimani Law Courts on Tuesday, where he denied charges of fraud related to a stalled housing project in Syokimau, Machakos County.
According to investigators from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Maalim allegedly solicited Sh6.4 million from a complainant under the pretext of constructing a house as part of the Oakside Phase 2 development, a project under the Mavoko Municipality.
The complaint, filed on December 30, 2024, triggered a probe by detectives from the Economic and Commercial Crimes Unit.
Investigators say Maalim entered into a formal agreement with the complainant on September 22, 2022, for the construction of a house costing Sh13 million.
The contract stipulated a Sh3 million deposit and subsequent payments, with a completion deadline of 24 months.
REAL ESTATE COMPANY BOSS ARRAIGNED OVER SH6.4M SCAMAbdiwahab Adan Maalim, the Director of Vaad Limited, a Nairobi-based real estate company, has been arraigned.Maalim’s legal troubles began when a complaint was filed at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations Headquarters
However, by the seventh month, the complainant had already paid Sh6.4 million. Despite the payments, no construction had begun.
When DCI officers visited the site, they discovered that not even the foundation had been laid—more than a year after the agreed completion date.
Maalim was released on a bond of Sh1 million and a cash bail of Sh100,000. The case is scheduled for mention on May 12, 2025.
DCI has since revealed that multiple complaints have been filed against Maalim and his company, Vaad Limited, all currently under investigation.
Authorities are urging other potential victims to report similar cases at DCI Headquarters.
