Apartment Manager Sentenced for Stealing Sh2 Million in Rent

A Nairobi court has sentenced James Peter Muthoga, a former apartment manager, to two years in prison for misappropriating over Sh2 million in rent payments.

Muthoga, previously an assistant manager with Tweya Investment Limited, was found guilty of stealing Sh2,067,740 from tenants in residential properties located in Karen, Rongai, and Kitengela. Principal Magistrate Caroline Njagi ruled that the prosecution had proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Muthoga had abused his position of trust.

The offences occurred between June 2018 and May 2022 and came to light after an audit revealed significant shortfalls in rental remittances. Investigators found that while Muthoga regularly collected rent from tenants, he failed to forward the payments to the property owner. When confronted by his employer, he initially went into hiding but later surrendered to police at Karen Police Station.

In court, Muthoga denied the charges, arguing that he had no formal agreement assigning him responsibility for rent collection. The magistrate rejected this defence, noting that the funds were in his possession because of his employment, and that withholding them constituted a clear breach of trust.