Joseph Kipkoech Keino at the Mililani Law Courts where he denied charges of defrauding shs 18,000 from Lesly Cherop by pretending that he was in a position to facilitate Abraham Koech to be recruited as an Administration Police officer in the National police service.He was released on a sh 100,000 cash bail. [Fidelis Kabunyi]
Court revokes bond for man in Sh12m foreign jobs scam
Rift Valley
By
Lynn Kolongei
| Jun 19, 2025
An Eldoret court has revoked the bond granted to a man accused of defrauding 18 residents of Uasin Gishu County out of Sh12 million by falsely claiming he could secure them employment opportunities in Australia.
Principal Magistrate Cherono Kesse cancelled Joseph Kipkoech Keino’s bond after he failed to attend both mediation and court sessions.
Keino, who had been released on a Sh3 million bond, allegedly went into hiding and was brought before the court following the issuance of arrest warrants.
The court heard that Keino was arrested in Nairobi and subsequently detained in Eldoret ahead of his court appearance.
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Magistrate Kesse stated: “Considering the trajectory this matter has taken since the accused entered his plea, the court evaluates the nature of the charge, the character and history of the accused, as well as his failure to comply with bond terms.”
She added that the decision also served to protect the accused’s safety, as public sentiment had increasingly turned against him.
The court acknowledged the need to protect the victims and underscored the importance of maintaining public order, peace, and security.
“For these reasons, the bond terms for the accused are vacated. He shall remain in custody throughout the trial until the matter is determined on its merits,” ruled the Magistrate.
The prosecution and the victims’ advocate, Edwin Ruto, informed the court that Keino had repeatedly failed to attend court sessions.
Ruto claimed that the accused was also uncooperative during mediation, stating: “Out of the five mediation sessions, the accused only attended one and often disrupted the process by switching off his mobile phone whenever meetings were scheduled.”
In his defence, Keino’s lawyer, Elijah Ayieko, blamed the issues on communication lapses between the mediation registry and the courts. He asserted that his client had attended all required sessions and court appearances.
However, Magistrate Kesse dismissed the claim, noting that court records showed Keino’s last appearance was on March 10, 2025, when the matter was referred to mediation.
“The mediator filed a report to the Deputy Registrar, who informed this court that there was non-compliance on the part of the accused, resulting in unsuccessful mediation,” said the Magistrate.
She noted that the case was referred back to court with two scheduled dates in May, both of which the accused failed to attend, prompting the issuance of arrest warrants. All contact numbers Keino had provided to the court were found to be switched off.
“I note that the accused was released on bond on 27 September 2024. In granting this bond, the court was obligated to monitor the accused’s compliance. It is noted that he has now been presented to court under arrest warrants, having been apprehended in Nairobi and transported to Eldoret,” Kesse remarked.
According to court documents, Keino defrauded the victims by falsely promising overseas employment.
The second accused in the case, Jael Jepkoech, remains at large. Reports indicate she fled to Qatar, and the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) has been instructed to pursue her through the Office of the Attorney General.
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