Police have arrested Caesar Wagicheru Kingori, alias Shrewd, a businessman accused of conning job seekers out of more than Ksh.10 million by falsely promising them employment opportunities in Canada.
Kingori was taken into custody after failing to appear before Senior Resident Magistrate Keyne Odhiambo on Monday, where he was set to be charged with obtaining money by false pretenses.
Despite posting a Ksh.100,000 cash bail three days earlier, Kingori was absent when his name was called in court for plea-taking. His no-show prompted the state counsel to request an immediate arrest, which the magistrate granted.
Authorities say Kingori, who operated his business at Daima Plaza along the Eldoret-Nakuru highway, defrauded degree and diploma holders by falsely claiming he could process visas for them to work abroad.
Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) arrested him following a tip-off from victims aged between 25 and 30 years.
Some of the victims, who have spent the past two months camped outside his office hoping to secure jobs, hail from Nandi, Elgeyo Marakwet, Uasin Gishu, and Trans Nzoia counties.
Reports indicate that each victim paid between Ksh.150,000 and Ksh.350,000, believing it would guarantee them employment overseas.
The magistrate has scheduled the case for mention on March 3 for further proceedings.
