This archive report was first published on 21 August 2019.
Police in Kakamega rescued a 17-year-old girl from Mombasa who was stranded in the town for three weeks after being tricked into a relationship with a man she met on Facebook.
The girl had exchanged contacts with the man, who promised to marry her, and had even traveled to Kakamega to meet him. However, the man disappeared after seeing her unedited selfies, leaving her stranded.
According to the girl, the man had initially been charming and had even sent her money for accommodation. However, after seeing her unedited selfies, he suddenly stopped responding to her messages and disappeared.
"The man got my number from Facebook. He invited me to Kakamega. When I got here he did not show up. He claimed he was stranded in Malava after his car broke down. He sent me money for accommodation and promised to meet me the following day. He never showed up," the girl said.
Police boss David Kabena cautioned young girls against going for blind dates, especially on social media. He helped the girl to return to her parents in Bamburi and provided her with bus fare to go back to Mombasa.
"This girl came to Kakamega on July 26. She has been living with a Good Samaritan in Shirere with the hope that her lover would call back and take her to his home," Kabena said.
"The Facebook man has never showed up called. I'm giving her bus fare to go back to Mombasa. I'm warning young girls not to be involved with people they don't know, especially on social media," he added.
