Be wary of the mafia like syndicate preying on desperate jobseekers in Kenya

NAIROBI, Kenya, May 22- When COVID-19 struck the country in March 2020, thousands of Kenyans lost their sources of income after their were rendered jobless as major companies scrambled to consolidate their revenue streams.

Months later, the number of unemployment cases continues to hit an all too high record. And though many are devising ways to become financially stable in order to support their families, unscrupulous individuals are exploiting desperate Kenyans in the guise of providing solutions to some of their basic needs.

A criminal syndicate masquerading as potential employers to unsuspecting Kenyans has for instance in the last 10 months duped thousands raking in more than Sh200 million,according to police.

Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, have now put a face and name to the syndicate, establishing that a Senior Sergeant at the Lang’ata Women’s Prison, Grace Nyamohanga alias Nasra, is behind the devious scheme swindling Kenyans.

“The rogue prison warder operates a mafia organization that recruits helpless jobseekers, with the promise of job opportunities in top government parastatals and government security agencies including, Kenya Defence Forces, National Intelligence Service and the National Police Service,” the DCI said. 

They include graduates in Mathematics, computer science and microbiology.

Others are hoteliers according to dozens of fake offer letters recovered by detectives, from the officer’s home in Nairobi.

A lady from Kiambu, for example, was swindled over Sh800,000, after she was promised three job offers for her children.

She was optimistic that her children would land a prime job at the National Hospital Insurance Fund, Nairobi Metropolitan Services and the Kenya Ports Authority.

“She was also offered appointment letters inviting her respective children to the said institutions to take up positions that had allegedly fallen vacant,” police said.

“However, she became jittery on the authenticity of the appointments when the suspect called twice to postpone the reporting dates, citing COVID 19 restrictions.”

 This prompted her to report the matter to detectives.

The DCI said, “In January this year, the suspects had in a well-coordinated and orchestrated plot, recruited over 60 jobseekers who were offered forged letters of appointment, inviting them to join the Kenya Airports Authority.”

“The victims, who each parted with colossal sums of money ranging from Sh300,000 to Sh400,000 depending on one’s level of education, were even driven to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, ostensibly to familiarize themselves with what would be their new work environment.”

While at the JKIA, detectives say they were addressed by a suspect who posed as the Human Resource Manager.

Later, they were driven to a high-end facility overlooking the Nairobi National Park, along Mombasa road, where they were treated to a sumptuous meal.

Afterwards, they were asked to go home and report on March 18.

“That was last time the victims heard from the phony thugs,” police said.

The senior prison officer is said to be working with warders within the prison department to lure desperate jobseekers.

“One such warder collected a total of Sh19 Million while another warder who is a driver collected over Sh5.7 Million. Dejected victims have since been trooping to our headquarters, to file reports detailing how they unbelievably fell for the trickster’s machinations,” the DCI said in a Tweet.

Detectives say fake US dollars amounting to Sh2.4 million were recovered from the suspect’s home at the Industrial Area G.K Prison staff quarters.

She is also being probed to establish whether she engages in money laundering.

Two suspects have since been arrested while the main suspect Senior Sergeant Nyamohanga is still at large.

Thousands of Kenyans have fallen prey to such tricksters.

“The Directorate of Criminal Investigations invites Kenyans who submitted their academic documents, birth certificates, identification cards and other documents to the fraudsters, to present themselves at the DCI headquarters, Serious Crimes Unit and file their reports,” the DCI said.