Nakuru woman loses KSh 2.8 million to a female friend who deceived her by posing as a man interested in marrying her.

Photo: Courtesy

Nakuru – A woman struggled to hold back her tears as she recounted the painful experience of being deceived by a close friend.

Noel Akivembe was deeply pained to learn that her childhood friend had allegedly swindled her out of millions of Kenya shillings.

The heartbroken woman struggled to comprehend how someone with whom she had shared so much could deceive her and take KSh 2.8 million.

Speaking to TUKO.co.ke, Akivembe recalled the fond memories she shared with her friend before she was deceitfully stolen from.

“She is a friend who is well known to my family. We grew up together and attended church together. We were very close and shared many great moments. When I went to Juba, Sudan, I opened a salon and invited her to work with me for a while. She worked under me until my contract ended. Since I couldn’t manage the salon from afar, I sold it and returned to Kenya,” she recalled.

When Akivembe returned, she had not been in contact with her friend for some time, and they had lost touch.

One day, her friend recognized her because of her hairstyle, reached out, and rekindled their friendship.

Akivembe playfully mentioned to her friend that she was considering marriage, noting that she was getting older and felt alone.

“My friend told me about an in-law whose wife had passed away. He had two daughters, and I had two sons and a daughter. She promised to give me his number so we could stay in touch,” she narrated.

Akivembe from Nakuru County reached out to her friend’s in-law, and they grew close.

“I recall him saying he was in Singapore and needed money for hospital bills. He asked me to send KSh 20,000 to my female friend so she could transfer it to his account and cover the expenses. I complied,” she remembered.

Why did Akivembe send her man money?

She recalled sending him KSh 50,000 for a COVID-19 certificate clearance at the airport so he could board his flight to Kenya.

Later, the man confided in Akivembe, a mother of three, that he was suffering from diabetes and high blood pressure.

“I was either madly or foolishly in love, so I constantly helped him, believing he would reimburse me once he arrived in Kenya. All the money was sent to him through my female friend. I was deeply involved. Throughout our relationship, various issues emerged—he was stuck at the airport, had health problems, and faced other financial needs. My brother contributed KSh 80,000, and his friend sent me KSh 170,000, sometimes even KSh 240,000. Everything went to him through my female friend,” she tearfully shared.

Akivembe’s man flown to India

Akivembe recounted the painful incident when the alleged daughter of her potential husband passed away.

At the time, Akivembe’s partner was in a hospital in Qatar, resting on the top bunk of a double-decker bed.

“When he heard the news, he fell from the top bunk and broke his spine. The hospital in Qatar couldn’t operate on him, so he needed to be flown to India for treatment and required KSh 300,000. I borrowed the money and sent it to him. He even sent me a video of the doctor examining him, which made me believe him,” Akivembe said.

Last time Akivembe talked to her man?

The last time she spoke to the man, he was imprisoned in India under unclear circumstances.

Shortly after, she lost contact with her friend from September 2022 to May 2024, when she finally managed to reach her.

“By this time, things had already gone wrong as people were demanding their money back. I had asked my friend for money, and she told me to come to her place to sign some documents. When I arrived, I was arrested and taken to remand. The case escalated, investigations were launched, and I was given an ultimatum to repay the money I had borrowed from friends and family.”

“I have lost about KSh 2.8 million. Investigations have linked everything to one person—my friend. I’m left wondering who I was actually talking to through WhatsApp calls and voice notes, as the number was foreign. I feel like I’m on the brink of depression. I can’t believe I was so blinded by love that I was conned. How could my friend do this to me? Why would she?” she cried.

Kenyan woman swindled six-plus year savings

In another story, a Kenyan woman in the US is heartbroken after losing all her savings of over six years, which she had set aside to build a home.

She had hoped to create something for herself to return to Kenya. Social media users expressed their sympathy and encouraged her to start over, advising her to handle everything independently this time around.