West Pokot County Assembly Speaker Fredrick Kaptui is among nine individuals accused of conspiring to defraud Eco-Pillar Sacco of over KSh260 million through system manipulation, fake accounts, fictitious loans, and illicit withdrawals. The defendants, comprising past and present Sacco representatives, face nine distinct counts detailed in official court documents submitted to the Senior Principal Magistrate’s Court in Kapenguria, West Pokot County. According to the filings, the group allegedly orchestrated the scheme between 2018 and 2025, siphoning Sh260,008,100 by tampering with transaction networks and channeling funds into personal accounts. The individuals named in the conspiracy count include Fredrick Kaptui Plimo, Linus Lokira, Kodich Ward MCA Paul Lokitari Ywapamoi, Leonard Pchakasan Domoita, Nicholas Toroitch Arusho, Andrew Poriot Lorema, Susan Chesang, Florence Chemotwo, and Francis Atodosia.
Six of the defendants presented themselves before Senior Principal Magistrate Stella Telewa at the Kapenguria Law Courts on Thursday, while the remaining three were not in attendance, and formal pleas were deferred during the session. The bench ordered the three absent individuals to report on November 5, 2026, cautioning that failure to appear would result in the issuance of arrest warrants; those missing were identified as Fredrick Siywat Plimo, Paul Loktari, and Frank Atodosia. Prosecutors have also brought distinct counts against specific defendants, encompassing theft by an employee, unauthorized computer interference, fraud, and misconduct in public office. Lokira is accused of misappropriating Sh12.1 million from the Sacco, Domoita faces allegations tied to Sh37.752 million, Lorema is linked to the theft of Sh6.9 million, Arusho allegedly took Sh13.6038 million, and Chesang is accused of unlawfully acquiring Sh8.1 million.
Domoita, Lorema, and Arusho also face joint charges of unauthorized computer interference under the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act, with investigators alleging they injected malicious code into the Sacco financial database to alter records and facilitate the multi-million-shilling loss. Chemotwo is accused of deception concerning a Sh3 million deposit, with state counsel asserting that between October 2024 and December 2025, she utilized fraudulent methods to secure Sh1.161 million in excess interest payments. Plimo and Lokira are jointly charged with abuse of office, with prosecutors claiming that during their respective tenures as chief executive officers, they unilaterally ordered Sacco funds to be transferred to personal bank and mobile money accounts. Furthermore, the two are accused of intimidating subordinate staff by demanding their ATM cards and personal identification numbers under threat of dismissal.
The allegations reference statutes from the Penal Code and the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act, with Eco-Pillar Sacco Society Limited named as the aggrieved party alongside several scheduled witnesses. Court records show the suspects were detained without warrants on August 8, 2026, ahead of the scheduled court mention on October 29, 2026. These accusations remain unverified in a court of law, and all defendants retain the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. Judicial proceedings will next address plea entries and bail conditions for the defendants as the legal process moves forward.