Police Comb for Lang'ata Women Prison Money Swindlers

A senior sergeant at Lang’ata Women Prison is in the police search list for swindling job seekers over SH200 Million in a period of 10 months.

Grace Nyamohanga, alias Nasra has been operating a racketeering syndicate that has obtained hundreds of millions of shillings from unsuspecting job seekers, on the pretext that the jobseekers would be offered job opportunities.

According to the Director of Criminal Investigations, George Kinoti, “the rogue prison warder operates a mafia organization that recruits helpless jobseekers, with the promise of job opportunities in top government parastatals and government security agencies such as Kenya Defence Forces, National Intelligence Service, and the National Police Service.

Dozens of fake offer letters that were seized from her house indicate that the suspects have recruited jobseekers from across all levels of education and academic disciplines including graduates in Mathematics, Computer Science and Microbiology among others.

Early this year, the suspects had in a well organized plan, recruited over 60 jobseekers who were offered  forged letters of appointment, inviting them to join the Kenya Airports Authority.

The DCI report indicates that the victims were even driven to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for the purposes of familiarization with what would be their new work environment.

“The victims, who each parted with colossal sums of money ranging from Sh300,000 to Sh400,000 depending on one’s level of education, were even driven to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, ostensibly to familiarize themselves with what would be their new work environment,” confirmed Kinoti.

“They were also addressed by a suspect who posed as the Human Resource Manager. Later, they were driven to a high-end facility overlooking the Nairobi National Park, along Mombasa road, where they were treated to a sumptuous meal. Afterward, they were asked to go home and report on March 18, 2021.  That was last time the victims heard from the fraudulent thugs,” read the report in part.

Investigations have since revealed that the suspect has been working in partnership with fellow Prison Warders who lure desperate job seekers into the trap, obtain money from them and remit the same to Nasra.

“One such warder collected a total of Sh19 Million while another warder who is a driver collected over Sh5.7 Million,” said the Kinoti.

“Dejected victims have since been trooping to our headquarters, to file reports detailing how they unbelievably fell for the tricksters’ machinations,” he added.

The DCI team also found out that a woman from Kiambu county had been  swindled over SH800,000 with the promise that her three children would be offered job opportunities at the National Hospital Insurance Fund, Nairobi Metropolitan Services and the Kenya Ports Authority.

The three unsuccessful job seekers were offered appointment letters inviting them to the promised institutions to take up the positions that had allegedly fallen vacant.

The woman however became anxious on the authenticity of the appointments when the suspect called twice to postpone the reporting dates, citing COVID-19 restrictions, which prompted her to report the matter to the Investigations Unit.

The detectives broadened their scope of investigations, to establish the suspect’s link to money laundering, after fake U.S dollars amounting to Sh2.4 Million were recovered from her house, at the Industrial Area G.K Prison staff quarters.

While the main suspect, Nasra is still being combed, two suspects are already in police custody.

Kenyans who unknowingly submitted their academic documents and other certifications are advised to present themselves  at the DCI headquarters, Serious Crimes Unit and file their reports.

“The Directorate of Criminal Investigations invites Kenyans who submitted their academic documents, birth certificates, identification cards and other documents to the fraudsters, to present themselves at the DCI headquarters, Serious Crimes Unit and file their reports,” said Kinoti.