Court detains six suspects linked to fake SGR ticket scam as age assessment ordered for one
Chief Magistrate Stella Atambo directed that the six be held at Muthaiga Police Station after one of the respondents informed the court that he is below.
Suspects John Omayo Obwocha alias Collins, George Kibet, Brian Cheruiyot, Brian Onwonga appearing before the Kibera Magistrate's Court. (Photo: Carolyne Kubwa)
The Kibera Law Courts has ordered six suspects accused of operating fake Madaraka Express social media pages used to defraud members of the public to remain in police custody until Thursday, July 16, pending an age assessment for one of the suspects.
Chief Magistrate Stella Atambo directed that the six be held at Muthaiga Police Station after one of the respondents informed the court that he is below the age of 18.
"Following the oral allegations by the second respondent that he is under 18 years, we adjourn the matter until Thursday to give Inspector Kinyua time to take him to the hospital for the age assessment," Magistrate Atambo ruled.
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The court heard that if the respondent is confirmed to be a minor, he will be entitled to legal representation at the State's expense.
The magistrate further ordered that all six suspects remain in custody at Muthaiga Police Station pending further directions on the matter.
The suspects are Evarest Obwoya Omaywa, Kelvin Kibet alias Festus Kibet, John Omayo Obwocha alias Collins, George Kibet, Brian Cheruiyot and Brian Onwonga.
According to investigators, the six allegedly operated fake Madaraka Express pages on TikTok and Facebook through which they falsely advertised the sale of Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) tickets and purported to offer seat reallocation services. Members of the public who made payments through the fraudulent platforms allegedly lost their money without receiving the promised services.
The suspects were arrested by officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Headquarters in Nakuru County before being transferred to Nairobi, where they were booked at Muthaiga Police Station on July 13, 2026. The complainant in the case is the Kenya Railways Corporation.
Court documents indicate that the investigating officer, Chief Inspector Nickson Kinyua, is seeking to detain the suspects for 21 days to complete investigations before preferring charges.
Investigators told the court that the probe involves extensive forensic analysis of digital evidence.
"...the matter involves recovery and analysis of deleted data, internet browsing records, account recovery information, cloud-based records, login histories, IP addresses, communication logs, and other digital artefacts," part of the court documents states.
The court is expected to issue further directions on Thursday after receiving the age assessment report and hearing the prosecution's application for continued detention.