Kenyan man indicted in the U.S for helping his brother launder Covid-19 fraud billions by constructing apartments in Nairobi

Sunday, September 7, 2025 - A 28-year-old Kenyan man has been indicted in the United States for allegedly laundering proceeds from a multi-billion shilling Covid-19 relief fraud scheme into a high-rise construction project in Nairobi.

U.S prosecutors say the suspect conspired to commit international money laundering by channeling stolen funds meant to feed vulnerable children into real estate developments in Kenya.

He is the 74^th defendant in what authorities have called the largest pandemic-related fraud case in U.S history.

The scheme targeted the Feeding Our Future programme, a federal initiative designed to provide free meals to children during the pandemic.

Investigators allege over Ksh5.16 billion ($40 million) was misappropriated and laundered through shell companies and falsified records.

Acting U.S Attorney Joseph H. Thompson condemned the exploitation, calling it “an affront to struggling families.”

Court documents reveal the suspect’s brother, Abdiaziz Farah, led the “Empire” group and was recently sentenced to 28 years in prison for orchestrating the fraud.

Farah allegedly diverted at least $42 million (Ksh5.4 billion) into luxury purchases and property investments, including the Nairobi high-rise building.

Between 2020 and 2022, the group fabricated feeding records and inflated invoices to siphon funds.

Prosecutors claim the indicted Kenyan played a key role in laundering the proceeds, masking their origin and investing them in Nairobi’s property market through sham entities and cash smuggling.

The Kenyan DAILY POST