Suspected Hacker Arraigned in Nairobi Over Sh49 Million JamboPay Heist
A man suspected to be behind the hacking of the JamboPay client portal and the theft of over Sh49 million was on Monday arraigned at the Milimani Law Courts in Nairobi County.
The accused, Joseph Momanyi, was arrested on the night of April 12, 2025, at his residence in Kahawa West Estate. According to detectives, Momanyi breached the JamboPay system and redirected Sh49,095,968 to multiple M-Pesa accounts, till numbers, and bank accounts.
During a raid on his home, police recovered several mobile phones, a laptop, and multiple SIM cards registered under various names — tools believed to have been used in executing the sophisticated cyber fraud.
In a sworn affidavit, Inspector Nixon Ngigi revealed that the arrest followed a formal complaint lodged by WebTribe Ltd, the company operating the JamboPay platform, founded and led by CEO Danson Muchemi.
Investigations suggest that the hacking took place between July 19 and July 23, 2024, during which the suspect reportedly disabled mobile numbers tied to One-Time Password (OTP) verifications, thereby gaining unauthorized access to user accounts.
Authorities further allege that Momanyi did not act alone. Preliminary findings indicate he had enlisted accomplices to help carry out different phases of the cybercrime.
Magistrate Ben Mark Ekhumbi ordered that the suspect be held at Muthaiga Police Station for seven days to allow police to complete their investigations. The police had initially requested a 10-day detention period, citing the complexity of the case, which involves digital forensic analysis of the seized devices and SIM card ownership verification.
Detectives also sought time to establish Momanyi’s true identity, noting he was arrested without a national ID and may be using aliases.
In opposing his release on bond, investigators argued that Momanyi is part of a broader cybercriminal network and that setting him free could jeopardize ongoing efforts to apprehend additional suspects.
The case will be mentioned in court on April 22, 2025.
