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Trio charged with swapping SIM card of ex-OCS linked to Ojwang murder
From left: Dennis Masavi Musyimi, James Mutemi Munyithya and Amos Nzomo Kimanzi before Milimani Law Courts on August 19, 2025.
Three suspected hackers have been arraigned for allegedly swapping the SIM card of former Central Police Station OCS Samson Talaam and using it to defraud members of the public.
Dennis Masavi Musyimi, one of the accused, pleaded guilty to SIM-swapping Talaam’s cellphone. Talaam is himself facing trial, alongside five others, for the murder of teacher-cum-blogger Albert Ojwang on the night of June 7–8, 2025.
Musyimi was jointly charged with Amos Nzomo Kimanzi and James Mutemi Munyithya. The trio faced eight counts before Milimani Senior Principal Magistrate Dolphina Alego, including conspiracy to commit a felony, computer fraud, unlawful use of another person’s identity card, obtaining false registration and deception.
Musyimi admitted to swapping Talaam’s SIM card and hacking his phone to solicit money from unsuspecting members of the public. He was remanded until August 20, 2025, for presentation of facts and sentencing.
The charge sheet stated that between June 16 and 19, 2025, Musyimi, Kimanzi, Munyithya, and others—including one Brian Kiptoo, who is before another court, and accomplices still at large—conspired to commit computer fraud.
They are accused of dishonestly replacing Talaam’s Safaricom number and using it to solicit money.
Among those targeted was lawyer Cliff Ombeta, who is part of Talaam’s defence team together with Danstan Omari and Shadrack Wambui. From Ombeta, the trio allegedly solicited Sh80,000.
Prosecutors told the court that Munyithya fraudulently used Kimanzi’s national ID to register a SIM card, which they activated and linked to Talaam’s number. Musyimi is further accused of procuring another person’s ID to complete the registration.
At the time of the fraud, Talaam was in the custody of the Independent Policing Oversight Authority investigators over the murder case. He and five co-accused deny killing Ojwang, who had been detained at Central Police Station after allegedly publishing offensive articles about Deputy Inspector-General of Police Eliud Langat.
The six murder suspects are being held at Kamiti Maximum Prison, awaiting a ruling on September 26, 2025, by High Court Judge Diana Kavedza on whether they will be granted bond.
Prosecuting counsel Sonia Njoki urged the court to remand all three hackers pending further directions today (Wednesday). While she did not oppose their bail application, she asked the court to consider the gravity and number of charges.
Magistrate Alego released Kimanzi and Munyithya on a bond of Sh500,000 each with two sureties, or alternative cash bail of Sh200,000 with one contact person.
Musyimi remains in custody pending sentencing.
