Police arrest suspect in Sh8.6 million fake jobs scam

Police have arrested a suspect accused of masterminding a fake employment scheme that allegedly conned desperate job seekers out of more than Sh8.6 million through promises of securing government jobs.

According to a statement on July 5, 2026, by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Derrick Fanuel Oduor allegedly obtained Sh8,621,141 from unsuspecting victims after claiming he could secure employment opportunities in the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), the National Police Service (NPS) and the Public Service Commission (PSC).

The arrest followed investigations by detectives from DCI Samburu North after several complaints were reported at Baragoi Police Station. Investigators later identified Oduor as a key suspect in the fraud scheme.

Police said the suspect had allegedly gone into hiding before detectives tracked him down in Nairobi County and arrested him.

“After allegedly going into hiding and ignoring police summons, the suspect’s luck finally ran out when detectives tracked him down to his hideout in Nairobi, arrested him and escorted him to Samburu to face the law,” the DCI said.

During the operation, detectives recovered two vehicles believed to have been acquired through proceeds of crime, a Toyota Axio registration KCW 432B and a Toyota Mark X registration KCY 640U. The vehicles were detained as exhibits pending further investigations.

Oduor was arraigned before the Maralal Law Courts on July 3, 2026, where detectives obtained 10 days’ custodial orders to complete investigations.

He remains in custody and is expected back in court on July 13, 2026.