Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) officers based in Nakuru arrested a Meru County MCA aspirant for fraudulently obtaining over Sh350,000 from various incidents.


Kathiai who is the mastermind of a notorious gang of fraudsters based in Nakuru, known as Confirm was arrested in Nakuru while trying to swindle an MPESA agent of Sh64,000.

Rift Valley DCI boss Mwenda Meme confirmed the incident and said the suspect identified as Benson Thuranira Kathiai is indeed a Muthara Ward MCA aspirant.


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According to the police report, Kathiai and two accomplices; Michael Andai and Shadrack Otieno were arrested after attempting to hoodwink an MPESA agent into depositing the money into their account and claiming the transaction has not gone through and demanding a refund of their money.

They pulled the stunt alright but little did they know that the agent was woke and after confirming the transaction was successful and the money was deposited into that account, she quickly informed the police.

"Thuranira entered a M-Pesa shop and asked the owner to deposit Sh64,000 in his mobile number. When the M-Pesa lady deposited, he manipulated his mobile phone and it could not reflect the deposit message. He, therefore, told the lady to return his cash which she did but upon checking her message, she found out the money had already been deposited to Thuranira's account," Meme said.


Police swiftly arrived at the scene and apprehended Kathiai and his team of crooks.

Preliminary investigations revealed Kathiai was a repeat criminal who had mastered the art of defrauding people of their money or property.

He has been implicated in similar incidents in Busia where he conned a woman of Sh60,000 and 60 bags of groundnuts.

His ventures have also been reported in Mombasa, Mwea, Shauri Moyo where he stole Sh135,000, his home town Meru where he defrauded another woman of Sh120,000 and Nakuru where he obtained Sh100,000 from two MPESA shops.

When asked why he was committing these crimes, Kathiai said he was looking for money to fund his campaigns.


Kathiai and his accomplices will be arraigned at Nakuru Law Courts on Friday.

“Kathiai is a serial obtainer according to our investigations. He is an aspiring MCA in Meru. We have liased with the OCS and DCI of that area so that they can come collect them after we take the suspects to court,” Meme said.

Meme appealed to members of the public to stay vigilant in order to avoid such instances.