Billions in fake money found in house linked to ‘Fake Uhuru’

The saga surrounding seven men who were arrested for conning Sameer Africa chairman Naushad Merali after one of them mimicked President Uhuru Kenyatta took another twist on Wednesday after police raided a house in Ruiru and discovered billions of shillings in fake currencies. Two suspects, Joseph Munyao and Nancy Muthoni were nabbed by detectives.

The house is being linked to Joseph Waswa, Duncan Muchai, Isaac Wajekeche, William Simiyu, David Luganya, Gilbert Kirunja and Anthony Wafula, who were arrested for allegedly defrauding Sameer’s finance director Akif Hamid of Ksh 10 million, claiming it was facilitation fee in a land deal that never was.

During the Ruiru raid, detectives, who were acting on a tip off, also found a large amount of fake gold. The money was in both Kenyan and foreign currencies. There are differing accounts on how much was found ranging from Ksh 1 billion to Ksh 32.6 billion.

The seven, who have captured the imagination of Kenyans for their movie-like manner in which they pulled the trick that saw Merali ask Hamid to wire the money were, meanwhile, released by a Nairobi after an attempt by the prosecution to continue detaining them for 10 more days failed.

They were set free on Ksh 200,000 bond each by by Chief Magistrate Francis Andayi, who ordered them to report to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations once every week for the next three weeks.

Chief magistrate Francis Andayi, who rejected the bid by the Director of Public Prosecution to allow police continue holding them, had on Tuesday heard that the seven allegedly used mobile phone number 0722 208842 to con Merali under the guise that they were in a position to sell him a piece of land in Nairobi’s Milimani area.

It has since emerged that one of the suspects, Waswa, lived a life of opulence and was a darling among residents of his rural village in Bungoma thanks to his generous handouts.

In December 2017, he flew in four helicopters to pay dowry for his fiancee, Maureen Tabitha, in Nzalatani village in Kitui to the awe of villagers.

The rings exchanged during the traditional ceremony are estimated to have cost around Ksh 1.6 million.

MPs Charles Nguna (Mwingi West), Babu Owino (Embakasi East), Caleb Amisi (Saboti) and Alfred Keter (Nandi Hills) were among those in attendance. V-8 limousines were on standby to pick them from a nearby playing field. Owino has since denied any association with him.

In the ongoing probe, police are holding a Toyota Land Cruiser, a Toyota Mark X, a Toyota Axio and a Toyota Crown seized from the suspects.

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It has also emerged that between 2014 and 2015, Waswa was behind bars after he was accused of shooting Mitch Kibiti, a university student in Kimilili.