When detectives from the DCI’s Banking Fraud Unit finally broke into a two-bedroom apartment belonging to Seth Mwabe in Tatu City, what they found inside looked nothing like an ordinary home. They found a high-tech setup described as a “fully equipped computer laboratory.”
Computers lined the room, a money-counting machine sat on a table, and a safe was tucked away in the corner. Several phones and other high-tech gadgets were scattered around, painting the picture of a man running a sophisticated operation.
The apartment belongs to Seth Mwabe, a 26-year-old who had dropped out of Meru University in 2017 on his second year. Police say Mwabe is behind a daring cyber heist that saw Betika, a leading betting company lose Ksh 11.4 million in July this year.
Investigators say Mwabe bypassed Betika’s security systems of the company’s payment service provider. And siphoned millions of shillings into accounts linked to him. The company raised the alarm, and detectives spent weeks trailing the suspect before cornering him at his Tatu City hideout.
Regional Criminal Investigations Officer Abraham Mugambi, who led the raid, said Mwabe has also been linked to other fraudulent schemes. His apartment, fitted like a miniature cyber lab, gave detectives reason to believe they were dealing with a seasoned operator.
Seth Mwabe: I did not Mean to Steal
When questioned, Mwabe described himself not as a criminal but as a cyber security engineer who has been “in the game” since 2017 when he dropped out of school.
He did not drop out due to lack of school fees, but because the “system did not favor him.”
“I am a cyber security engineer, so this is what I do,” he told the officers, insisting that the equipment in his home was for consultancy work with clients.
Seth Mwabe reportedly claims he didn’t “steal.” Instead, he says he was only testing a software he developed, which unexpectedly channeled the money into his account.
“I wanted to return it, but I got busy, that’s when DCI came knocking. You can take the money and let me continue with my life,” Mwabe told investigators.
Despite his claims, investigators believe Mwabe used his skills to exploit digital loopholes and steal from the betting firm.
He was arrested and arraigned in Court to answer charges over the heist, and later released on a Ksh 500,000 bail.
Once released, he was given a hero’s welcome by his parents and relatives, who were overjoyed at his safe return home. He is due to appear in Court again on October 7.
By Vivian K.