Police officers in Gilgil on Thursday arrested a man who allegedly conned a woman out of Sh720,000 by promising he would assist her two sons to join the Kenya Defense Forces.
The suspect, who had posed as a KDF captain, was seized in a hotel as he waited for cash from a victim.
Police identified him as Willie Muhanda, alias Captain Nelson Mariga.
During the arrest, police recovered fake recruitment documents and said more victims could have been fleeced.
Witness Ben Mwai said the suspect had for years posed as a senior KDF officer at one of the barracks in the town.
Mwai said the suspect bragged that he had connections and had assisted tens of youths to join the defence forces.
“He has conned so many people who thought that he was a captain in the army but the proverbial 40 days ended today after he was unmasked as fake,” he said.
A senior officer from Gilgil police station said the suspect would be arraigned on various charges.
“We are expecting more complaints,” he said.
Meanwhile, seven minors are admitted at Naivasha Subcounty Hospital after they ate a poisonous plant.
The minors from two families and aged between four and 11 were taken to the hospital on Wednesday night, screaming and complaining of headaches and dizziness.
It’s suspected that the minors ate vegetables mixed with the poisonous plant datura stramonium (Devil's snare) that can cause delirium, sometimes violence and in large quantities even death.
Witness John Mwangi said the minors, who are neighbours, had eaten supper in Maraigushu village when they started complaining of headaches.
He said some had to be restrained with ropes after they became violent before being rushed to the hospital.
“We suspect their mothers unknowingly mixed vegetables with the poisonous plant,” he said.
“The minors were brought in suffering from delirium and restlessness but they were stabilised and are now in stable condition,” a junior medic said.
(Edited by R.Wamochie)
