A mother of two, Marriann Wanjiru, has been sentenced to two years in prison by a court in Eldoret for her role in a foreign job scam.
Principal Magistrate Kimani Mukabi handed down the jail term without the option of a fine after Wanjiru pleaded guilty to the charges.
She admitted to defrauding a carpenter, Brian Majanja, of Sh230,000 on the promise of securing him a well-paying security job in one of the Gulf countries.
The court heard that the offence was committed on various dates between May 20, 2024 and June 6, 2024 in Eldoret City, Uasin Gishu county.
Wanjiru had convinced Majanja, a father of one, to part with the money in exchange for what she claimed would be a Sh200,000 security job in Oman.
“It is true, your honour,” Wanjiru told the court when the facts of the case were read out.
Majanja broke down in tears as he recounted how a friend introduced him to Wanjiru in Eldoret, believing she could help him secure a better-paying job abroad.
He told the court that she assured him she could arrange employment either as a security guard or a hotel waiter in Qatar or Oman.
“She asked me to choose the country I preferred, and I settled on Oman,” Majanja said.
According to his testimony, Wanjiru then urged him to send Sh230,000 to her via M-Pesa immediately, warning that he risked missing the opportunity if he delayed.
Eager to secure the job, he transferred the full amount.
“I was hopeful about the opportunity and sent the money to her mobile line,” he said.
However, his hopes quickly turned to despair. Majanja told the court that Wanjiru stopped answering his calls soon after receiving the money and eventually switched off her phone altogether.
“I realised I had been conned of my hard-earned money when she became unreachable,” he said.
In mitigation, Wanjiru pleaded for leniency, telling the court she was a mother of two children who depend on her.
She said her children had been suffering since her arrest last year and claimed she had only been acting as an agent for a Nairobi-based recruitment firm that later shut down.
In his ruling, Magistrate Mukabi ordered that Wanjiru refunds Majanja his money within 90 days after completing her prison term.
The court was also informed that she has another similar case pending before a different court in Eldoret.
The magistrate noted that such offences have become increasingly common in the region, underscoring the need for a tough sentence to deter others.