Saturday, June 21, 2025 - Jonah Kariuki, father of 22-year-old Boniface Kariuki - the mask vendor who was shot by police during the June 17 protests - has lost Ksh 200,000 to fraudsters posing as officials from the Social Health Authority (SHA).
According to family spokesperson Emily Wanjiru, the scammers
contacted Kariuki claiming they could help settle Boniface’s mounting hospital
bills at Kenyatta National Hospital.
Pretending to be SHA representatives, they asked for
personal details to “register” the family into the health scheme.
“They told him he needed to pay a small fee for SHA
registration, which is actually free,” Wanjiru said.
In the process, Kariuki shared his M-Pesa PIN. The
fraudsters then accessed his account and wiped out Ksh 200,000.
Speaking to reporters, Kariuki explained, “They initially
asked for Ksh 20,500, but I accidentally sent Ksh 200,500. By the time I
realized it, they had disappeared.”
Efforts to recover the funds have been unsuccessful, as the
scammers turned off their phones and deleted transaction messages.
The family plans to hold a press briefing outside Kenyatta
National Hospital to update the public on Boniface’s condition.
The young man has undergone two surgeries to remove bullet
fragments from his head and remains in critical condition.
0 Comments