A Congolese national facing charges in a Sh10 billion gold scam case has been arraigned in court over allegations that he possessed and used a fraudulent Kenyan passport.
Assani Elolo Ronaldo appeared before the Kibera Law Courts on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, where he denied three charges relating to the alleged acquisition and use of an unauthorised travel document. The prosecution accused Elolo of making a document without authority, uttering a false document and providing false information to a public officer.
The charges stem from his arrest at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on October 13, 2026, as he prepared to travel to Entebbe, Uganda. Investigators allege that Elolo was using a Kenyan passport bearing the name Ronald Omondi Owuor when immigration officers intercepted him at the airport.
The charges were brought under Sections 357(a), 353 and 129(a), read together with Section 36 of the Penal Code, which address the alleged offences. The court postponed the matter to Thursday, October 15, to allow the defence to make submissions on bond and bail terms. Elolo was remanded at Industrial Area Prison pending the hearing.
According to investigators, officers were dispatched to JKIA to take custody of the accused after receiving information about his arrest.
Elolo is also facing proceedings in a separate gold scam case before the Kibera Law Courts, registered as Criminal Case No. 141/289/2023. Court records indicate that he had previously missed several court sessions, with his lawyer presenting medical documents to account for his absence.
In December 2025, the court revised his bond conditions and ordered him to surrender his Congolese passport. The Directorate of Immigration was also directed to restrict his travel. Following his arrest at JKIA, investigators sought records detailing his travel movements using both his Congolese and Kenyan passports. They also requested the documents submitted in support of his Kenyan passport application and biometric checks to establish his identity.
Investigators reported that the Directorate of Immigration confirmed a match in the biometric verification results. A review of the immigration records showed that the Kenyan passport had been issued on November 16, 2017. However, the application documents reportedly indicated that it was issued as a replacement for a lost passport.
The discrepancy prompted further questions about the circumstances under which the document was obtained, with investigators indicating that additional inquiries were necessary.
The case comes amid a separate investigation involving Nigerian national Temple Tochukwu, who is accused of obtaining a Kenyan national identity card using the name Joseph Temple Obare. Tochukwu was charged at the Milimani Law Courts in Criminal Case No. 147/179/2026 over the alleged identity document fraud. Investigators said he was released on bond but later failed to attend court, leading to the issuance of an arrest warrant.
The two cases have raised questions about safeguards governing the issuance of Kenyan identity cards and passports, particularly in cases involving allegations that foreign nationals obtained or used documents under different identities. The allegations against both accused persons remain subject to determination by the courts.
DCI Director Mohamed Amin said the agency remained committed to tackling the alleged misuse and fraudulent acquisition of identity and travel documents.
