Three Kenyans Linked to Cybercrime to Be Sent to U.S. for Trial

A court in Nairobi has approved an application by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) to extradite three Kenyans to the United States(US) to face criminal charges linked to alleged cybercrime offences.

In a statement dated August 6, the ODPP said Principal Magistrate P.K. Mutai endorsed warrants of arrest against Francis Asanyo, Peter Omari and Elvis Obaigwa, paving the way for their extradition to the United States.

“A Nairobi court has today approved an application by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to extradite three Kenyans to the United States of America to face criminal charges,” read part of the notice.

The warrants were issued by the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Richmond Division, on November 15, 2023.

ODPP Wins Court Approval to Extradite Three Kenyans to the US 

According to the ODPP, the three individuals are wanted in the US to answer charges of conspiracy to commit computer intrusions, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and aiding and abetting under American law. 

The prosecution also told the court that the extradition request met the legal requirements under Kenyan law after a review of the supporting documents submitted by US authorities.

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Additionally, the ODPP said the extradition proceedings followed a formal request made by the United States on February 26, 2026, through Kenya’s Central Authority, the Office of the Attorney General and Department of Justice.

“The extradition proceedings followed a formal request made by the United States on 26th of February 2026 through Kenya’s Central Authority, the Office of the Attorney General and Department of Justice,” read part of the notice.

The request was submitted by Jeffrey M. Olson, Associate Director of the Office of International Affairs, Criminal Division, U.S. Department of Justice.

Therefore , after reviewing the request and supporting evidence, the ODPP confirmed that the legal requirements for extradition had been met before moving to court to seek the necessary orders.

Court Clears Way for Extradition to the United States

Following the ruling, the court directed that Francis Asanyo, Peter Omari and Elvis Obaigwa be remanded at Industrial Area Prison pending their extradition to the United States.

The prosecution was led by Senior Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Vincent Monda, assisted by Principal Prosecution Counsel Victor Owiti and Prosecution Counsel Fatma Shaban.

The three will remain in custody at Industrial Area Prison as arrangements for their extradition to the US are undertaken. 

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This ruling comes days after an Interpol 2025 report on cybercrime attacks in African countries revealed that Kenya is now one of East Africa’s biggest targets for online criminals, with attackers exploiting mobile money platforms and weak telecom safeguards.

According to the report, Kenya recorded more than 46,786 Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks in just the first half of 2025, all aimed squarely at telecom companies that millions of Kenyans rely on daily.

“Kenya recorded more than 46,786 DDoS attacks in the first half of 2025 targeting telecoms,14 and was included in SOCRadar’s top phishing detection in September 2025,” stated the report in part.

Separately,the Communications Authority (CA) of Kenya also flagged hundreds of millions of intrusion attempts against government systems and ICT infrastructure between July and September.

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A photo of Francis Asanyo, Peter Omari and Elvis Obaigwa appearing at the court to know their extradite fate. Photo ODPP