A Nairobi court has released a couple on bond after they denied 41 charges linked to an alleged multi-million-shilling scheme involving the fraudulent collection of pension benefits from several retirement schemes.
Alex Okoth Nalwenje and his wife, Esther Nyambura Kamande, appeared before Kibera Chief Magistrate Stella Atambo, where they pleaded not guilty to the charges and asked to be released on reasonable bail terms.
The prosecution alleges that the two, together with other individuals who have not been charged, manipulated pension records to facilitate the irregular payment of retirement benefits.
According to the prosecution, the accused allegedly caused names to be unlawfully included in the payrolls of several pension schemes associated with Ernst & Young, Swissport, the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS), Nestlé, Cadbury and Nokia.
The individuals were allegedly presented as legitimate pension beneficiaries, prompting the respective schemes to release money to which they were not entitled.
The charges include conspiracy to defraud, obtaining money through false pretences, fraudulent false accounting and offences involving the acquisition, possession and use of proceeds of crime.
The prosecution team, led by Senior Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Maryann Mwangi and Principal Prosecution Counsel Michael Mutune, did not oppose the couple’s release on bail. However, the prosecutors urged the court to take into account the seriousness of the alleged offences when setting the terms of their release.
In her ruling, Magistrate Atambo granted Nalwenje a bond of Sh3 million.
Kamande was released on a bond of Sh1 million, with one surety of a similar amount, or an alternative cash bail of Sh1 million.
The court also ordered both accused persons to surrender their passports and report to the investigating officer once every month, unless directed otherwise.
The case will be mentioned on November 17, 2026, for pre-trial directions.
