A $140,000 payment, but no gold shipment: Kenya arrests two in alleged Dubai-bound deal

A Swiss national paid $140,000 to move a 20-kilogram gold consignment to Dubai, but the shipment never happened, according to police cited by Nairobi News. Two suspects have been arrested in the alleged fraud, and prosecutors have recommended charges as investigators seek other people linked to the transaction and try to recover the money.

The complaint was lodged by Stephane Pierre Harder through his agent, Ulrich Kenney, a Gabonese national. Police said Harder was allegedly drawn into a fraudulent gold sale agreement on April 14, 2025. The promised transaction centred on a consignment purportedly intended for shipment to Dubai. The money paid was described as logistics fees—charges meant to cover arrangements for transporting the gold—not as the purchase price of the metal.

Payment through a law firm

According to the police account reported by Nairobi News, the $140,000 went through Kandiki & Advocates to facilitate transportation. When no shipment followed, suspicions of fraud arose. Detectives investigated and arrested Seth Steve Okute and Kelvin Otieno Onyango, also known as Sonko. The source does not report a conviction in the case or say that the promised gold was recovered.

After reviewing the investigation file, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions recommended prosecution. Nairobi News identified Kayembe Malamba Eli, Benold Okoth, Onyango and Okute as the suspects due to face conspiracy-to-defraud charges under Section 317 of the Penal Code. It also reported that Onyango, Okoth and Esther Bituku Kandiki of Kandiki & Advocates would face charges of obtaining money by false pretence—securing funds through alleged deception.

Police are still seeking Kandiki, the advocate linked to the firm through which the payment was reportedly channelled. The report also says authorities are pursuing additional suspects. The arrests therefore mark a step in an investigation that remains open, rather than the end of the case.

According to police cited by Nairobi News, investigators are still working to locate additional suspects and recover the lost funds.

Earlier cases in the background

Nairobi News also described an earlier case involving Onyango. In 2024, detectives arrested him at his office in China WU-YI Plaza in Nairobi’s Kilimani area. A search uncovered company papers, stamps and seals, along with forged mining licences purportedly issued by the Ministry of Mining. He faced 10 counts involving making a document without authority and forgery, pleaded not guilty, and was granted a Sh300,000 bond or Sh200,000 cash bail.

The outlet also recounted a 2023 investigation into an alleged $534,000 fraud against two American citizens. Detectives arrested 10 suspects in raids in Kitisuru and Kilimani. Among the items recovered were suspected mineral stones coated in gold and silver colours, metal-testing tools, cash-counting machines and assorted metal rods. Officers also recovered two firearms and more than 470 rounds of ammunition, according to the report.

For the Swiss complainant, the unresolved issue is the money paid for a shipment that never materialised. The next developments to watch are the proposed prosecutions, efforts to arrest the remaining suspects and whether investigators can recover the funds. Nairobi News reported that inquiries remain active.