By Issa Hussein - Reporter
Kenya, 23 June 2026 - A Nairobi court has sentenced the mastermind behind a fraudulent tantalum minerals scheme to three years in prison or a fine of KSh 10 million and ordered the refund of KSh 151 million to a Chinese investor who fell victim to the scam.
In a judgment delivered at the Milimani Law Courts, Ulundu Patrick Lumumba, also known as Gabriel Kulonda and Lumumba Patrick Byarufu, was convicted of obtaining money by false pretences contrary to Section 313 of the Penal Code.
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the conviction concludes a complex transnational fraud case involving the sale of fake tantalum minerals.
Lumumba was arrested by detectives from the DCI’s Operations Support Unit (OSU) on 5 April 2024, shortly after arriving in Nairobi from Entebbe, Uganda. Investigators said he attempted to enter the country using alternative identification documents and multiple aliases despite a stop order having been placed on one of his travel documents.
Investigations revealed that the suspect orchestrated an elaborate scheme in which containers loaded with sand were falsely declared as shipments of tantalum, a valuable mineral used in the electronics industry. The fraudulent operation led to a Chinese investor losing KSh 151 million after one of the exported containers was opened abroad and found to contain drums filled with sand instead of the promised mineral.
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Further investigations at the Port of Mombasa uncovered additional containers that had similarly been packed with sand and falsely documented as tantalum consignments, exposing what detectives described as a coordinated criminal enterprise operating across several jurisdictions.
The court's ruling brings to an end months of investigations and prosecution efforts. The DCI said the conviction underscores its commitment to combating transnational fraud, protecting investors, and ensuring those involved in sophisticated criminal schemes are held accountable.