Detectives are in search of a city pastor who allegedly conned unsuspecting Kenyans a lumpsum KSh600 million in promise to secure jobs for them overseas.
The suspect, Pastor James Wanjohi of Jesus Culture Ministries in Roysambu, is said to have scammed young people fresh from campus, to elderly people seeking to opportunities for their children.
He was reportedly carrying out the operation through an agency identified as Worth Start located in Nairobi.
One of his followers, an elderly woman, narrated how she took out a loan and paid to Wanjohi’s agency.
“Nilichukua pesa kwa kina mama. Siku ya kwanza nilikuja hapa nililipa shilingi 140,000. Alafu nikalipa shilingi 10,000. Iyo ni 150,000. Nikaambiwa sasa ningoje wataniita. (I took some money from a women’s group. The first day I came here I paid KSh140,000 then later I added some KSh10,000. The total is KSh150,000. Then I was told to wait for communication),” she was quoted as saying.
However, the pastor went mute for months and whenever she went to enquire about the progress of that process she was met with rude answers and threats.
Her story is no different from all other victims who paid between KSh100,000 to KSh150,000 with the promise of getting jobs in various countries including, United Kingdom, Canada, United States, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Finland among others.
A poster laid outside his office indicates pastor Wanjohi was offering various services such as; international study scholarship, local foreign immigration consultancy, visa processing and tracking, international healthcare facilitation, international job staffing and placement.
Detectives recently raided the offices and took away monitors, files among other items which they say will aid their investigations.
Some of the senior employees were also arrested for questioning as the city pastor remains in hiding.
The distraught victims who are now coming out to record their statements with the police, now demand a refund of their money.
