After working tirelessly for seven years as a housekeeper in Saudi Arabia, Wawira Ngungi returned to Kenya in late 2024 with dreams of starting over.
But instead of finding success, she was met with heartbreak and betrayal.
Wawira, 39, had sent Ksh 400,000 via M-Pesa to a man she trusted to invest in melon farming while she was still abroad.
Introduced to him through a mutual friend, she believed her money was being put to good use.
But when she returned home and enquired about the venture, she was told the crops had been destroyed by heavy rains. Still, something didn’t add up.
“I don’t think there was any farming at all,” Wawira shared, her voice heavy with disappointment. The man had no photos, no receipts, and no evidence of any agricultural activity, just excuses.
Her return to Kenya had already been clouded with grief, having lost her mother to cancer.
Much of her salary had gone toward hospital bills, and she had hoped the farming project would help her rebuild. Instead, she’s left empty-handed and struggling to get back on her feet.
Despite multiple attempts to recover the money, the man remains uncooperative.
Wawira is now left with mounting frustration, clinging to hope that justice or even a partial refund might come her way.
Her story has become yet another cautionary tale for Kenyans in the diaspora who send money home in hopes of building a better future, only to be let down by people they trusted.
