They are easily Kenya’s two most wanted men, in connection with the loss of a whopping Sh4 billion between them.

In the first case, Ambrose Makech Abuti, the proprietor of Eldoret-based Springmak Investment Limited, is wanted in connection with the loss of a total of Sh2.4 billion belonging to hundreds of “investors,” including politicians, clergy, magistrates and lawyers among other members of the public.

The second case revolves around a former manager at Equity Bank, David Machiri Kimani, who is wanted in connection with the theft of Sh1.6 billion from the bank.

Kimani was arrested on August 4, 2024, and brought to court under a miscellaneous application where police Inspector Boniface Mwangi who is attached to the Banking Fraud Unit pleaded with the court to be granted 21 days to hold him pending the conclusion of investigations into the alleged bank heist. 

Travel documents

The court however rejected the request and proceeded to release the suspect on a Sh500,000 bond on condition that he surrenders his travel documents to the court.

He was further required to report twice a week to the DCI officer investigating the matter. He has since gone missing, and failed to appear in court for the mention of his case and for the court to confirm compliance with its orders.

While the prosecution insists he has jumped bail and want the court to issue a warrant of arrest against him, the defense, led by lawyers Ndegwa Njiru and Alex Gakuru, accuses the police of abducting him and wants the court to issue orders compelling the police to produce him in court.

Like Kimani, Abuti went missing sometime last year after an Eldoret court granted him a Sh1 million bond in a case in which he was charged with conning unsuspecting investors more than Sh2.4 billion, according to Uasin Gishu county police Commander Benjamin Mwanthi.

Mwanthi said the warrant was issued by the chief magistrate’s court in Eldoret in March last year after he failed to appear in court over the fraud case. was granted a Sh1 million bond, he never came back to court for the hearing of his fraud related case prompting the police to seek for a warrant for his arrest which is still in force,” added Mwanthi.

Abuti is accused of defrauding his victims, including prominent politicians, magistrates and lawyers from Rift Valley region over Sh2.4b in one of the  biggest forex scam in the region.

Online forex trading

Some of the victims who have been camping at the Eldoret DCI offices to record their statements recounted how they were duped into investing their money in the online forex by their church leaders.

“We had no doubts in what our bishops were telling us about the online forex investment company run by Abuti because we were accustomed to them,” stated a female high school teacher who declined to be named.

The teacher who is based in Marakwet West sub county is said to have deposited Sh500,000 in one the banks in Eldoret town after signing an agreement with Abuti who is still at large.

The history and CRE teacher said she was promised 18 percent returns on the principal amount per month.

“Those with money ranging from Sh200,000 and above were advised to deposit the cash in bank accounts but investors with Sh150,000 and below were asked to make their deposit through an M-Pesa line belonging to Abuti,” narrated the victim.

The monies were to be deposited in the firm’s account at the DTB bank. Contacted through a public relations agency, the bank said it had since closed the account following the investigations and reported the matter to the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK).

Investors came from as far afield as Kakamega, Bungoma, Busia, Vihiga, Kisumu, Siaya, Homa Bay counties.

Currently, victims are recording statements with officers from the DCI headquarters in Nairobi.

Another victim Susan Waititu said that she invested Sh240 million after being promised a monthly return of 18 per cent of the principal amount.

‘I believed in what my pastor told me because he used to bring Abuti to our church for morning service and he (Abuti) seized the opportunity, encouraging us to invest our money in the forex online to better our lives,” she said.

Jane Watalika, a mother of three narrated how Abuti convinced her to invested Sh3 million in the forex online scam five months ago.

“We were lured through a church where the suspect was an active member. In fact he was a member of the praise and worship team,” said Watalika.

In Kimani’s case, his lawyers believe the police are behind his disappearance.

His lawyer Njiru urged the Milimani Senior Resident Magistrate Geoffrey Onsarigo to issue an order requiring the police to produce him in court, whether dead or alive, insisting that he had been abducted.

“Your honor, my client is not present in court today as scheduled since he was abducted by police officers despite this honourable court releasing him on bond. I urge this court to give orders for the body of the suspect to be brought before this court,” Njiru submitted when the matter came up for mention last week.