Kenyans who receive unexpected money through M-Pesa or bank transfers are being warned against treating the funds as a windfall, following several cases involving people accused of spending money mistakenly deposited into their accounts.

The cases involve different amounts, ranging from KSh33,952 sent through mobile money to KSh250,000 transferred to a bank account and more than KSh6.7 million allegedly deposited into another man's account.

The incidents have attracted attention because they highlight a growing concern surrounding erroneous electronic payments and the legal consequences that may follow when recipients allegedly refuse to return money they know does not belong to them.

Citizen Digital reported on Monday, October 26, 2026, that a Nairobi man, Dickson Yiaile Sitei, had been arrested over allegations that he spent KSh6,744,354 mistakenly deposited into his bank account.

According to the report, the money was transferred on November 18, 2025, when a company was processing 74 electronic payments. The transactions included a legitimate KSh72,000 rent payment owed to Sitei for the company's shop in Suswa, Narok County.

However, an additional KSh6.7 million intended for another company was allegedly credited to his account following a payment-processing error.

Citizen Digital reported that the company later sought to recover the funds, but investigators alleged that Sitei had spent the money despite knowing it had been deposited by mistake.

Detectives from the Banking Fraud Investigation Unit arrested him along Lantana Road in Westlands, Nairobi, on October 24, 2026. The matter was forwarded to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, which directed that he face charges relating to intentionally withholding an erroneously delivered payment and money laundering.

At the time of the report, he remained in custody awaiting arraignment. The allegations against him had not yet been determined by a court.

The case came just days before another development involving a Dandora resident accused of spending part of KSh250,000 mistakenly transferred into his bank account.

According to The Star, the man appeared before the Senior Principal Magistrate's Court at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on Monday, October 26, where he pleaded guilty to five counts connected to the wrongful retention and use of the money.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations said the transfer occurred on September 4, 2026. Investigators established that the man had withdrawn KSh150,000 in three instalments before the bank blocked the remaining balance.

Detectives subsequently traced and arrested him near Total Petrol Station in Dandora on October 23. Following his guilty plea, he was convicted and remanded in custody pending sentencing on November 17, 2026.

The DCI identified intentional withholding of an electronic payment delivered in error among the charges. The agency did not publicly specify all five counts in its statement.

The case has drawn attention to Section 35 of Kenya's Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act, 2018, which criminalises intentionally hiding or withholding an electronic payment delivered to someone by mistake when it should have reached another person.

A conviction under this provision can attract a fine of up to KSh200,000, imprisonment for up to two years, or both. Other charges may carry different penalties depending on the applicable law.

The consequences of retaining money sent by mistake were also illustrated in the case of Mary Nanjala and Roselyn Nyongesa, two women from Kakamega County who received KSh33,952 through M-Pesa in December 2024.

Daily Nation reported that the money originated from an account belonging to stockbroker Sila Omondi at Co-operative Bank. Prosecutors alleged that Nanjala received the funds before transferring them to Nyongesa, who subsequently spent approximately KSh33,000.

The women later appeared before the Milimani Law Courts, where they admitted the charges and pleaded for leniency, explaining that they had repaid the money.

After the bank confirmed receipt of the funds, the court discharged them under Section 87(a) of the Criminal Procedure Code. Daily Nation reported that the discharge was not a full acquittal and that they could potentially face prosecution again for the same offence.

Together, the three cases demonstrate that the amount involved does not necessarily determine whether retaining mistakenly transferred money can lead to criminal proceedings.

The circumstances of each case matter, particularly whether the recipient knew the payment was erroneous and deliberately withheld or used the money.

In an explainer published on October 26, 2026, Daily Nation also warned Kenyans against spending money accidentally deposited into their accounts. The publication cited legal experts who advised recipients to leave the money untouched and contact their financial institution through official channels.

The advice applies to both bank transfers and mobile-money transactions. Anyone who receives money unexpectedly should verify the transaction, avoid spending or forwarding the funds and report the matter promptly.

For M-Pesa users, the safest approach is to contact Safaricom through its official customer-care channels and follow the recognised reversal process. Bank customers should notify their financial institutions and allow them to investigate and resolve the erroneous payment.

Recipients should also exercise caution if someone contacts them claiming to have sent money accidentally. Rather than independently transferring funds to another number, they should use the provider's official reversal procedure to reduce the risk of fraud or further disputes.

The DCI has similarly warned that money mistakenly credited to an account does not automatically become the recipient's property.

As Kenya increasingly relies on electronic payments for everyday transactions, these cases serve as a reminder that an unexpected deposit should be treated as a matter requiring verification, not an opportunity to spend money that may belong to someone else.