A Nairobi court has scheduled a mention for a criminal case against controversial businessman Elius Kemboi Korir, who faces charges of defrauding Mallow Brand Limited of over Sh15 million in a brown sugar scam. The case will be mentioned on February 17.
Milimani Chief Magistrate Lucas Onyina issued the order after Korir was accused of obtaining goods worth Sh15,633,200 from Mallow Brand by falsely pretending to have the means to pay for them, a fact he allegedly knew to be false. The goods in question were purportedly obtained on December 10, 2022, at the Women and Youth Against Aids and Poverty (WAYAAP) warehouse at City Stadium, Nairobi, in collaboration with others not yet before the court.
The goods included 100 bags of 50kg brown sugar, 575 jerricans of 20-litre cooking oil, and 770 jerricans of 20-litre cooking oil, along with 1,600 bags of 25kg Grade 1 rice. In a separate charge, Korir is accused of conspiring with unknown individuals to defraud Mallow Brand by illegally acquiring the goods.
Korir is also facing charges in another case for allegedly obtaining 300 bags of beans valued at Sh4,590,000 from Koch Limited. In this instance, he is accused of falsely claiming the beans would be supplied to WAYAAP, a public benefit organization, which would supposedly cover the costs.
Korir denied the charges when he appeared before Senior Principal Magistrate Dolphina Alego and was granted bail. He secured a total cash bail of Sh2 million for the brown sugar fraud case and an additional Sh1 million bail for the beans fraud case.
According to the prosecution, Korir, a key figure at WAYAAP, has been under investigation by police for his involvement in multiple fraudulent schemes targeting businesses. Police revealed that Korir, posing as a charitable figure, exploited his position to solicit tenders, only to disappear once the goods were delivered.
In one particularly egregious case, Korir and an accomplice from WAYAAP allegedly defrauded three suppliers of goods worth over Sh32.8 million, claiming they were meant for vulnerable communities. However, after receiving the supplies, the officials reportedly sold the items on the local market and became unreachable. The companies, frustrated by failed attempts to recover their goods or money, eventually reported the incident to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
The case was subsequently taken up by the Operation Support Unit, which launched a manhunt for the suspects. Korir’s attempt to flee the country was thwarted when he was arrested at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA). He is currently in police custody as investigations continue.
