A Kenyan single mother who had spent months putting aside money to start a business says her dreams have been thrown into turmoil after a man she was romantically involved with allegedly disappeared with KSh430,000 of her savings.
Elizabeth, not her real name, claims the man, identified only as Richard, presented himself as a genuine romantic partner before allegedly manipulating her into giving him the money.
According to Elizabeth, she had been carefully saving the funds with the hope of launching her own business when Richard allegedly approached her with a request for financial assistance.
She says he told her that he needed money to pursue a tender but could not secure the necessary loan from his SACCO because he did not have enough shares.
“He conned me KSh430k. He manipulated me into a relationship and when I was about to set up my business, he asked for money for a tender, saying the SACCO did not have enough shares for him to get the loan,” Elizabeth claimed.
Trusting the man she considered her partner, Elizabeth says she handed over the money.
But shortly afterwards, Richard allegedly disappeared, leaving her with neither her savings nor the business she had hoped to establish.
What followed was reportedly a year of waiting, unanswered questions and promises that the money would eventually be returned.
Elizabeth says Richard repeatedly assured her that he would repay the money, but the promises never materialised. At one point, she claims, he blocked her.
The situation took another dramatic turn when Elizabeth began sharing her story on social media in an effort to recover her money and warn others.
She says Richard recently contacted her again, claiming that he was sick and asking her to give him more time to repay the money.
“He reached out recently claiming he’s sick and that I should wait; he’ll pay me. I am so stressed. I am a single mum of two and I cannot even pay my bills,” she said.
Elizabeth has shared screenshots of their alleged conversations, in which Richard reportedly pleaded with her to remove social media posts about him while citing his illness as a reason for delaying repayment.
But Elizabeth says her case may not be an isolated incident.
She claims she has since discovered that Richard is living with another woman, whom she alleges may also have been financially affected by him.
According to Elizabeth, at least four women have allegedly fallen victim to the same man, collectively losing thousands of shillings.
The mother of two has now turned to social media, repeatedly posting about the alleged ordeal in the hope that public attention will help her recover her money and prevent other women from falling into a similar situation.
“We are four ladies he has conned of thousands of shillings. I have posted him several times on my social media accounts. Please help me post him to raise awareness and hopefully get my money back,” she said.
For Elizabeth, what began as a relationship built on trust has ended in financial distress, unpaid bills and a business dream put on hold.
She now hopes that increased public awareness will pressure Richard to return the money she says she worked hard to save.
