By Timothy Sonic || sonictimothy6@gmail.com
A 70-year-old grandmother from Butsotso East Location in Lurambi Subcounty, Kakamega, is struggling to come to terms with a cruel ordeal in which she lost Ksh 17,000 to con artists posing as government officials.
Deborah Musanga, a soft-spoken elder, had just withdrawn the money from Cooperative Bank in Kakamega town. She intended to use it to pay sugarcane cutters who had worked on her farm.
But moments after stepping out of the bank, two smartly dressed women and a man driving a car approached her. The women introduced themselves as officials from the Ministry of Health, claiming they were registering the elderly for free government medical services.
“They told me they were enrolling old people for health services and that I should accompany them for a short drive,” Musanga recounted.
Trusting their demeanor, she entered the car. Barely 200 metres away, the vehicle stopped abruptly.
“One of the women snatched my handbag containing all the money and my phone before ordering me out. They then sped off, leaving me stranded,” she said.
Musanga later recalled seeing one of the women inside the banking hall as she withdrew the cash, a sign she may have been trailed.
The matter was reported at Kakamega Central Police Station. Sub-County Police Commander Vincent Cherutich confirmed the incident, saying investigations are underway.
“We are pursuing leads and will not rest until those behind this act are arrested,” he said, while urging the public to remain cautious during financial transactions.
The incident highlights the growing risks faced by vulnerable groups such as the elderly, even in busy urban centres.
