A man who impersonated the former governor of Nairobi and scammed people out of money by promising them educational loans has been arrested in Kisii, Kenya.
Newton Paul Kengere, 29, posed as Mike Mbuvi Sonko on Facebook and asked people to register for a loan scheme with a fee of KES 1,000. He claimed to be working with the Sonko Rescue Team, a charity founded by the former governor.
However, after receiving the money, he would stop responding to the victims and tell them to be patient. He is estimated to have obtained thousands of shillings from unsuspecting members of the public.
Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) tracked him down to his village in Riokindo Ward, where they seized his phone and several sim cards. He is expected to appear in court on Friday, Jan 19.
The former governor, who was impeached in December 2020 over corruption charges, lodged a complaint at the Capital Hill Police Station after learning of the fraud. He said he had nothing to do with the fake loan scheme and urged the public to be vigilant.
The DCI warned the public to be wary of online fraudsters and report any suspicious activities to the authorities.
“Online scammers are using various tricks to lure unsuspecting victims into their traps. They often impersonate prominent people or organizations and offer attractive deals that are too good to be true. We urge the public to verify any information they receive online and not to send money to strangers,” a DCI spokesperson said.
