A young man lost Sh95,000 to fraudsters in a failed bid to join the Kenya Wildlife Service during a recent recruitment.
Moses Watoka Wakora, from Kimilili District in Bungoma County, told The Standard how four men duped his uncle into giving the money.
A sobbing Watoka said he was told not to join his colleagues on the routine vigorous exercise at the Kanduyi stadium as the recruitment went underway.
“I was informed by one of them to proceed to a hotel in Bungoma town to collect my appointment letter. And true to his word, I found the letter at the reception. I could not doubt it since it looked very authentic,” said Watoka.
Rude shock
But he got a rude shock when he reported at the KWS Rangers Training College in Manyani, only to be informed that the letter that he had was fake.
Armed with the letter and M-Pesa transactions between him and the tricksters, Watoka appealed to KWS Director Julius Kipng’etich to intervene in his matter.
“I come from a very poor family, and we did all that we could with my uncle in the hope of getting a job to change our lives. What turned out has really discouraged us,”said Watoka.
Listen to case
“But I believe the director can listen to my case and intervene,” he added
Reached on phone, Dr Kipng’etich advised him to report the matter to the police.
“I have heard of the case and it is very regrettable. Our recruiting officers were issuing cards, not a letter. And if the young man was given a letter after offering that hefty bribe, he must feel lucky for not having been arrested,” added Kipng’etich.
The KWS boss clarified that the people Watoka may have dealt with may have been fraudsters who capitalised on vulnerable Kenyans to get money by using known KWS officers’ names, but they were not his men.
Used his name
Kipng’etich warned Kenyans against offering bribes, adding that fraudsters had even his name as the recruitment went on.
“It was a very transparent exercise whereby all the new recruits were taken photographs at the recruitment centre and the photographs were then produced at Manyani to tally with the documents before a recruit was allowed into the college,” said Kipng’etich.
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