Sheryl Gabriella, a Kenyan TikTok creator, has claimed she lost an opportunity to win a prize worth about KSh 12 million after taking part in an international competition held in Burkina Faso.
Speaking during an emotional TikTok livestream, she alleged that what had been presented as a legitimate voting contest turned into a scheme that demanded large sums of money from participants.
According to Sheryl, she travelled to Ouagadougou after being selected to represent Kenya in the inaugural Battle of Nations competition.
She said the event promised a grand prize of USD 100,000, equivalent to roughly KSh 12 million. However, once the contest began, she alleges participants were instructed to pay about KSh 85,000 every day to remain in the competition.
Sheryl said the financial demands became impossible to sustain and left her emotionally overwhelmed. She decided to withdraw from the contest and later shared her experience publicly through a livestream, where she broke down in tears while explaining what had happened. Clips from the broadcast quickly spread across social media, attracting widespread reactions from Kenyans.
Many online users expressed sympathy and urged others to be cautious before joining international competitions that require participants to keep paying money. Others called for investigations into the organisers and for greater transparency in such contests.
As of the time the story was reported, the organisers of the competition had not publicly responded to Sheryl’s allegations. Her claims remain unverified, and no official findings have been released regarding the competition or the accusations she made.
The incident has nevertheless sparked debate online about online contests, participant safety, and the need to verify opportunities before committing significant amounts of money.