10 social media users arrested for impersonating senior officials
At least ten social media users, including members of the president’s family, have been detained for using false identities on high-ranking government employees.
The First Lady Rachael Ruto, President Ruto’s Aide-de-Camp (ADC) Fabian Lengusuranga, Cabinet Secretaries for Defense Adan Duale, and Interior Prof. Kithure Kindiki were among those impersonated.
According to the authorities, the impersonation was done on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
For instance, in the towns of Sirisia and Kapsabet in the respective counties of Bungoma and Nandi, police detained and questioned Michael Wekesa, 19, Isaac Lukando Oduor, 19, and Dennis Kimaru, 25.
According to the police, Michael is the primary suspect in an impersonation case where he created a Facebook account pretending to work at the First Lady’s office and then conned members of the public into thinking he could provide loans.
The money would then be forwarded to a phone number and afterward transferred to a till number under his name after he requested a deposit as processing fees.
On Friday, October 28, 2022, he was detained in Sirisia and lodged at the Eldoret police station.
Three phones that were recovered from him and his partner Isaac Lukando Oduor, who was running a call center for the scam, are the subject of forensic investigations.
Dennis Kimaru, a Kirinyaga University alumnus with a bachelor’s degree in commerce and finance, created a social media account in the name of Ruto’s ADC Fabian Lengusuranga using the names Mzalendo Kimaru (Jeshii), Mzalendo Kym Korir, and Obuntu Family on Facebook, Mzalendo Kym on Twitter, and Mzalendo Kym on Instagram.
On Sunday, October 23, 2022, Kimaru was taken into custody and held at the Kapsabet police station.
Kimaru stated under questioning that he opened the account to increase Facebook likes and followers because the ADC’s appointment was popular on social media.
DCI investigators are investigating further members of the internet scammers that are keeping Kenyans up at night.
To find individuals responsible for the threat, a special squad has been established. Kenyans are urged to report crimes to DCI so that they can be dealt with.
According to police, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions will get the investigation files on those who were arrested in order to take legal action against them.
Leading social media businesses like Facebook and Twitter have been compelled to hire specialized staff to regulate how people utilize internet resources due to online impersonation and identity theft.
To advance the trustworthiness of information, the companies have adopted the usage of verified accounts at a cost to individuals and corporations as part of their plan.
Kenya has seen rapid expansion in both internet and mobile penetration, placing it far ahead of other African nations.
This has encouraged entrepreneurship and created a space for a cutting-edge business climate in Kenya and elsewhere.
Online fraud, identity theft, email and website scams, online bullying, child pornography, online purchase scams, and card fraud are just a few of the unpleasant side effects of the internet boom.
According to government authorities, for the country to have a better internet experience, all ICT stakeholders, including those in the government, commercial sector, media, and parliament, may need to work together.
This can be accomplished by creating legislation that support an open, secure online environment that ensures privacy and offers enough safeguards.
Duale introduced a measure in the national assembly in 2021 to alter the 2018 Act regarding computer abuse and cybercrime. The controversial subject of the bill—forbidding the sharing of pornographic materials—and the lack of senate input prevented it from receiving support from lawmakers, and as a result, it never became a law.
