Three men have been arraigned at the Milimani Law Courts for allegedly participating in a coordinated scheme to illegally unlock mobile phones purchased through M-Kopa before the completion of loan repayments.
The accused Jeremiah Njoroge, Marvine Wanguno, and Victor Kimani pleaded not guilty to five counts, including theft and handling suspected stolen property.
According to the charge sheet, the trio is accused of stealing six smartphones from M-Kopa Kenya Limited on August 4, 2025.
The stolen devices including two Samsung A13s, a Samsung A12, a Samsung A03s, a Samsung S24, and a Nokia GS0 are valued at Sh 800,000.
They also face charges related to the theft of three high-end smartphones a Samsung Note 20 Ultra, a Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, and another Samsung Note 20 worth Sh 1 million, allegedly stolen from Mophone Kenya Limited.
In an alternative charge, the suspects are accused of dishonestly receiving or retaining four mobile phones belonging to Watu Credit a Samsung A04s, a Samsung A05, and two Samsung A03s with a total value of Sh 1.2 million, knowing or suspecting they were stolen.
Police say the suspects were apprehended at a shop on Tom Mboya Street in Nairobi following a tip-off.
During the raid, investigators reportedly found five M-Kopa phones in the process of being illegally unlocked.
Defense lawyers urged the court to impose lenient bail terms, describing the proposed Sh 1 million cash bail as excessive and requested a pre-bail report be prepared.
Chief Magistrate Dolphina Alego released each of the accused on a bond of Sh 2 million or an alternative cash bail of Sh 1 million. The matter is scheduled for mention on August 27, 2025, before Court 3 for pre-trial proceedings.
Governor Sakaja Hosts California Delegation For Climate And Trade Dialogue
