Businessman conned Ksh.13.2M in Bungoma

As security agencies ramp up efforts to combat counterfeiters and scammers, a businessman in Bungoma County is grappling with a Ksh.13.2 million loss at the hands of con artists.

Constantine Simati Wafula, a 54-year-old father of two and a tourism and resort business owner in Kanduyi, Bungoma County, recounts being approached by individuals seeking his assistance in exchange for potential 'business benefits'.

Wafula claims that a man named George, later identified as Samuel Omari, requested his support in processing USD 6 million (Ksh.774 million) for a purported orphan named Warren Kimotho, whose real identity turned out to be Clement Maina Muriithi.

Wafula claims that the duo, along with their accomplices, Walter Wekhanya Keya, Robert Hensen and Kerry Marshall, duped him into making several payments to facilitate the purported clearance of the orphan Warren's USD 6 million.

What Wafula believed to be a legitimate venture subsequently unmasked itself as a fraudulent scheme.

The five suspects employed the emblem of the international forex firm De La Rue to gain Wafula’s trust. They made lucrative promises, enticing him to sell three prime plots of land to fund the purported dollar clearance. However, the promised funds never materialized.

Wafula has since issued a stern warning to Kenyans to exercise caution when approached for assistance or business ventures, urging them to be vigilant against potential money laundering scams.

Kimotho, the purported orphan, has since been arrested pending a court case on September 19, 2024.