This archive report was first published on 11 August 2019.
On August 11, 2019, detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) opened an investigation into the alleged swindling of 14-year-old Kenyan gymnast Wendy Waeni by her former manager Joe Mwangi.
According to the DCI, officers from the Child Protection Unit have taken up the case and Mwangi will face legal action if he is found culpable.
Wendy Waeni, an emotional gymnast, shared her story with Citizen TV's Jeff Koinange, stating that she has never received a single penny from Mwangi despite performing in several countries over the past five years.
She claimed that Mwangi has denied her access to her social media accounts by withholding their passwords, and that her mother sells sweets and cigarettes at night to make ends meet.
Wendy, who has performed for Presidents Kenyatta and Paul Kagame of Rwanda, accused Mwangi of controlling her social media accounts and posting things on her behalf.
However, Mwangi rubbished the accusations, stating that the minor may have been coached on what to say on TV.
He dared anyone with proof that he had traveled with Wendy to come forward, but a video shared by TV47 Acting Managing Director Eugene Anangwe showed Mwangi and Waeni visiting Rwandan President Paul Kagame.