Kenyan man to be charged for spending nearly Ksh7 million mistakenly deposited to his account

When some unexpected funds suddenly hit your bank or mobile money account, what do you do?

Well for some Kenyans, luck has smiled their way, while others will return the money quickly to the sender to avoid trouble.

One of these scenarios has left a Kenyan man facing prosecution, and potentially, many years behind bars.

On Saturday, October 24, detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations’ Banking Fraud Investigation Unit arrested a man in Westlands, Nairobi for mistakenly spending Ksh6.7 million that was erroneously deposited into his bank account.

According to The Star, the case dates back to November 18, 2025, when a company was processing 74 electronic payments, including rent of Ksh72,000 owed to the suspect for its shop in Suswa, Narok county.

However, there was an alleged transition mistake of an additional Sh6,744,354 intended for another company that was wired to the suspect alongside the rent payment.

“The company sought the recovery of the funds, but the suspect allegedly spent the money instead of returning it to the rightful owner,” the DCI said in its statement.

Detectives from the Banking Fraud Investigation Unit probed the matter and forwarded the case file to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) for review.

After a review, the ODPP recommended that the suspect face charges of intentionally withholding an erroneously delivered payment, contrary to Section 35 of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act, and money laundering under the Proceeds of Crime and Money Laundering Act.

The suspect was taken into custody awaiting arraignment as the DCI warned Kenyans against spending money mistakenly wired to their accounts as it remains the property of the sender.

“Money mistakenly deposited into your account does not become yours. It should be returned to the rightful owner,” the investigating agency stated.

So next time you think of spending that money mistakenly sent to your M-Pesa account, think twice.