A 52-year-old Kenyan Diaspora man, Wilberforce Murunga, spent a night at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) after discovering he had been issued a fraudulent airline ticket by a suspect posing as a travel agent. The incident followed his 2022 court-ordered refund of a bride price paid in 2019.
Murunga, who resides in the United States, had arranged to return home on May 26 after resolving a marital dispute in Kitale. He purchased a return ticket from a Kitale-based travel agency for Sh76,000, only to learn upon arrival at JKIA that the ticket was invalid. The agency’s owner, a 34-year-old woman, was arrested for fraud in 2022.
Trans Nzoia County detectives confirmed the arrest, charging the suspect with obtaining money by false pretence. She was released on a Sh41,000 cash bail and is cooperating with investigations. Four additional victims have come forward, alleging they too were defrauded by the same individual.
Murunga’s legal battle over the bride price began in 2019, when he paid Sh50,000, livestock, and goods for his marriage to Irine Khasoa in Bungoma. After their divorce in October 2021, a mediation court in Kitale ordered his in-laws to refund part of the payment in 2022. The agreement included three cows, a she-goat, and Sh20,000, with one cow and cash forfeited as a gesture of goodwill.
The fraudster, who operated under a fictitious travel agency, was identified after Murunga reported the incident to Kitale police. Authorities are seeking more time to investigate the broader scam, which has affected multiple victims. A 2020 article highlighted similar fraudulent practices, while a 2016 case involved a different but related legal dispute.
