Popular TikToker and travel agent Maria Wangare Kamunge, alias Rish Kamunge, is now at the center of a multi-million shilling job scam that left dozens of Kenyans stranded and defrauded. Kamunge, the Director of Trustpine Travel Agency, was arraigned in court today after investigations linked her to a fraudulent recruitment scheme that promised lucrative job opportunities in Mauritius.
According to authorities, unsuspecting job seekers paid between Ksh 200,000 and Ksh 400,000 for job placements, only to arrive in Mauritius and find out that their supposed employers did not exist. Some victims were detained at the airport and later deported back to Kenya, leaving them financially and emotionally devastated.
Investigations by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have so far uncovered 43 victims, who collectively sent Ksh 12.9 million to Kamunge. The case has sent shockwaves across social media, where the accused had built a reputation as a glamorous influencer, often showcasing luxury travels and success stories of supposed job placements abroad.
Today, Kamunge was presented in court for custodial orders and subsequently remanded at Capital Hill Police Station. The case is set for mention later today, with prosecutors expected to push for further investigations into what is shaping up to be one of the largest travel scams in recent times.
The DCI has urged more victims to come forward and report their cases at Central Police Station, Nairobi. Meanwhile, authorities are looking into the possibility that this scam was part of a larger human trafficking network exploiting desperate job seekers.
As the case unfolds, questions linger: How deep does this scam go? Were there accomplices? And how many more victims are yet to speak out? Stay with Channel 15 News for continuous updates on this developing story.
