Eight Kenyans jailed in Rwanda over cyber fraud.

By Samuel Ouma

Eight Kenyans have been sentenced to eight-year imprisonment in Rwanda after they were found guilty of attempting to hack a bank's system.

They were identified as Dedan Muchoki Muriuki, Samuel Wachira Nyuguto, Kinyua Erickson Macharia, Godfrey Gachiri Githinji, Eric Dickson Njagi Mutegi, Reuben Kirogothi Mwangi, Damaris Njeri Kamau, and Steve Maina Wambugu.

The eight were sentenced alongside three Rwandese and one Ugandan. The group had tried to Equity Bank System to steal money, as reported by Rwandan media.

Rwandan court convicted them of criminal mischief or misdemeanor, computer access to information intended to commit a crime, change of computer information or network, unauthorized computer access, and stealing.

The court further directed the convicts to compensate the Equity Bank Rwanda $60000 for expenses related to the crime committed.

All the twelve suspects were arrested in October 2019 by the Rwandan Investigation Bureau.  The bureau reported that the group came to Rwanda after successfully defrauding Equity Bank in Kenya and Uganda.

“Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) arrested an organised group of 8 Kenyans, 3 Rwandans and a Ugandan over a cyber-fraud attempt on Equity bank. This group was arrested while in the process of hacking into the bank system to steal money from clients' accounts,” Rwandan police posted on Twitter in 2019.

Equity Bank is present in six African countries: Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

James Mwangi, a Kenyan, heads the financial institution.