A 52-year-old Kitale man, who recently secured a bride price refund through court, spent a night at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) after discovering he had been issued a fake travel ticket by a suspected con artist.
Trans Nzoia County detectives arrested a 34-year-old woman operating a fictitious tour agency after she provided the victim with a fraudulent Qatar Airways ticket for a May 26 flight to the United States. The suspect, charged with obtaining money by false pretence, was released on Sh41,000 cash bail while cooperating with investigations.
The victim, Wilberforce Murunga, revealed he paid Sh76,000 for a return ticket through the Kitale-based agency. Upon arriving at JKIA, he discovered the electronic ticket was invalid, forcing him to spend the night at the airport. 'I didn’t realize I was a victim until I reached the check-in counter,' he said.
Murunga’s legal battle over a disputed marriage ended in May 2022 when a Kitale court ordered his in-laws to refund part of the Sh50,000 bride price paid in 2019. The agreement included three cows, a she-goat, and Sh20,000, though he forfeited one cow and part of the cash as a gesture of goodwill.
The fraud case emerged after four additional victims came forward, prompting police to request extended investigation time. Murunga, who divorced his wife Irine Khasoa in 2021, remains determined to travel to the US despite the setback.
