Fake brigadier charged for Sh1.2 million KDF recruitment scam in Nairobi
Joshua Maingi, 48, accused of posing as a Kenya Air Force brigadier, allegedly defrauded parents of millions promising KDF recruitment slots, police say.
A man accused of impersonating a senior military officer to defraud parents seeking Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) recruitment slots was on Monday, November 24, 2025, charged at the Milimani Law Courts.
Joshua Muthwii Maingi, 48, appeared before Chief Magistrate Dolphina Alego to face multiple counts, including personation, possession of government stores, and obtaining money by false pretences.
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Prosecutors described him as a "fake brigadier" who allegedly posed as a high-ranking Kenya Air Force officer to run a carefully planned recruitment scam targeting desperate families.
According to the charge sheet, Maingi claimed to be a Brigadier with the power to influence admissions to the KDF Recruit Training School (RTS) at Moi Barracks, Eldoret.
Investigators say he convinced parents that he could secure highly sought-after military training opportunities for their children—at a high cost.
Maingi was arrested on November 17, 2025, at his residence in Cherrywood Apartments, Kilimani, Nairobi. Police reportedly recovered a range of military items believed to be stolen or unlawfully obtained.
Recovered items
The recovered items included a full Kenya Air Force combat uniform, two slip-ons with Brigadier insignia, two matching gorget patches, and a Kenya Air Force badge.
The prosecution told the court that Maingi used the military attire and his assumed rank to gain victims’ trust. In one incident highlighted in Count Three, he allegedly received Sh700,000 from Kenneth Lomerical Kimaiwa on October 7, 2025, after claiming he could secure a military placement for Kimaiwa's son, Kelvin.
In another case, complainant Robert Kipkurui Ng'etich reported paying Maingi Sh510,000 on November 10, 2025, after the accused allegedly promised to facilitate an admission letter for his daughter, Brenda Chepkorir.
Both transactions reportedly took place at Maingi’s Kilimani apartment.
Maingi denied all the charges.
Magistrate Alego granted him a bond of Sh1 million or an alternative cash bail of Ksh 500,000 and directed that the case proceed to pre-trial.
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