A recruitment agent in Eldoret faced court charges after allegedly defrauding Milimani Resident Magistrate Linet Lusweti of Ksh 350,000 under the pretext of securing an overseas job for her sister.
Charles Onyimbo Monayo appeared before Eldoret Principal Magistrate Kimani Mukabi, where he pleaded not guilty to obtaining money through false pretenses. Charge sheets indicate that between February 14 and February 17, 2025, Monayo and accomplices falsely claimed they could arrange travel to Norway for Faith Lusweti within three weeks.
According to the prosecution, Magistrate Lusweti deposited an initial installment of Ksh 240,000 into a provided bank account on February 14, 2025, and cleared the remaining Ksh 110,000 balance three days later after Monayo assured her that travel plans were at an advanced stage.
The suspect subsequently avoided communication when the judicial officer sought updates, forcing her to travel from Nairobi to lodge an official complaint at the Eldoret Central Police Station.
Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations arrested Monayo on July 17, 2026. Following his non-guilty plea, Magistrate Mukabi released the accused on a Ksh 300,000 bond with an alternative cash bail of Ksh 100,000.
Three key witnesses, Magistrate Lusweti, her sister Faith, and lead investigator Constable Francis Anyanzwa, will testify when the court reconvenes for a pre-trial conference on August 25, 2026.
