Marriage, shell firms and millions: The Sh22million NOCK fraud uncovered
A husband, wife and an alleged accomplice have been charged in connection with a sophisticated insider-driven fraud scheme that cost the National Oil Corporation of Kenya (NOCK) more than Sh22million, following investigations by the Investigations Bureau (IB) under the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum.
At the centre of the case is Gladys Kahaki Njubi, a former assistant accountant at NOCK, whom investigators describe as the mastermind behind the scheme.
Detectives allege that Njubi abused her position within the corporation’s finance department to process fraudulent payments to companies secretly linked to her husband, Griffin Nyakang’o Omwenga.
According to court documents, Omwenga registered at least five companies; Zoccom Enterprises Limited, Eceny, Ventures Limited, Earthcare Supplier Services, Sparktec Ventures Limited and Jaffer Petrofill Africa Limited which investigators say were used as conduits to siphon funds from NOCK. The probe established that the firms neither participated in any procurement process nor delivered goods or services to the corporation, yet received nearly Sh22.1million.
To evade detection, Njubi is accused of using legitimate documentation belonging to genuine contractors who had valid engagements with NOCK. Investigators say this enabled the fraudulent payments to pass through internal approval systems without triggering red flags.
The third accused person, Nehemia Onyunge Kibegwa, a director of Kensons Constructions Limited, is alleged to have benefited from the scheme despite lacking any tender history or contractual relationship with NOCK.
Following completion of investigations, the case file was forwarded to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), which approved multiple charges including conspiracy to defraud, theft by servant, forgery and possession of proceeds of crime.
The three suspects were arrested on January 28, 2026, detained at Akila Police Station and later arraigned at the Kibera Law Courts. They denied all charges and were remanded in custody, with the court set to rule on their bond applications on February 4, 2026.
