A 29-year-old suspect who has been personating the former Governor of Nairobi Mike Mbuvi Sonko and obtained thousands of shillings from unsuspecting members of the public in an educational loan advance bluff has been arrested by detectives.
Newton Paul Kengere was arrested in Kisii’s Riokindo Ward within the Kenyenya sub-county, where the handset he had been using to send enticing messages to vulnerable targets and several sim cards were also recovered.
Lodging his complaint at Capital Hill Police Station, Sonko reported several Facebook accounts that were being operated by the suspect, who purported to be working with the Sonko Rescue Team and coordinating an initiative to help needy parents with school fees challenges.
Kengere went ahead to author messages that required interested persons to register with Sh1,000 for the advance loans which he said, would not accumulate any interest.
To secure a loan, “applicants” had to also send their ID numbers, full names, location and state of the purpose.
However, after receiving the registration fees, Kengere would shift briskly from a persistent caller to the aphoristic, “Patience pays”.
That statement was all his targets would make of their Sh1,000.
DCI Nairobi Area Crime Research and Intelligence Unit team which traced him to his village is processing him before his arraignment on Friday, Jan 19.
