A university student posing as an examination agent was on Monday, November 21, 2022, charged before a Nairobi court with defrauding members of the public of millions of shillings through social media in the pretence he was offering exam leakages for 2022.
Peter Kamanja Njambi, a second-year student at Rift Valley Institute of Science and Technology, appeared before Milimani Chief Magistrate Wendy Micheni and denied several charges of publication of false information on Telegram and being in possession of Identification Cards belonging to three different persons.
The prosecution alleges that Njambi opened a Telegram group with over 20,000 followers under the name Professor David/James claiming to be offering Kenya National Examination paper, which he knew to be false.
The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) is preparing to administer three exams starting next week, learners in grade 6, and candidates for the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams are expected to write their papers.
Njambi has been lying to his victims that he had prior access to the exam papers and had offered to leak them to the public at a fee.
Investigation revealed that the student was charging for each paper between Ksh5,000 to Ksh35,000 and that once victims sent him the cash he blocked them.
Several complaints
The prosecution claims that the Njambi was arrested following a complaint lodged by different members of the public who had been defrauded over Ksh1 million deposited in two different accounts.
The court heard that he committed the offence on various dates between November 1, 2022, and November 19, 2022, at an unknown location within the Republic of Kenya.
Njambi was also charged with unlawfully being in possession of an East African Community passport registered in the name of David Kimani Thuo in Kabasis town, Nakuru County.
He was also found in possession of another National Identity Card (ID) belonging to Jescah Nyoseba Nyangoya and Kipkoech Arap Soi in the same area of Nakuru County.
The accused was apprehended on November 19, 2022, as part of a combined operation by the National Examination Council (KNEC) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (CID).
After denying the charges, Njambi pleaded with the court to grant him reasonable bail terms saying he was a second-year student and had no means.
The magistrate ordered the student to be released on Ksh500, 000 cash bail or Ksh1 million bond
The case will be mentioned on December 5 for pretrial.
