City pastor turned businessman, James Wanjohi, vehemently denies allegations of embezzling Ksh. Six hundred million through a scheme that duped 4,000 Kenyans with promises of obtaining visas for international travel.
Following statements from victims outlining their financial losses at the hands of the company’s director, Wanjohi, a police raid was conducted on April 24 at Worthstart Africa offices situated in Pension Towers, Nairobi.
In a video viewed by Citizen Digital, Wanjohi ridiculed the accusations, labeling them as a politically motivated smear campaign against him. He perceives the situation as rooted in animosity stemming from his candidacy for the Roysambu parliamentary seat during the 2022 general election.
“I perceive this as a political vendetta and a tactic to stifle my progress in business,” Wanjohi remarked, insinuating that certain rivals are orchestrating efforts to undermine his reputation and hinder his ventures.
Dismissing claims of his pastoral role at Jesus Culture Ministry, Wanjohi clarified that he transitioned into entrepreneurship relatively recently. He argues that servicing 4,000 clients within such a short span is logistically implausible, attributing any discrepancies to attempts by competitors to tarnish his company’s image.
“I relinquished my position at Jesus Culture Ministries in 2022. Any insistence on my pastoral role should be substantiated by interviewing my former congregation. There is no active church under my leadership. My focus now is on establishing and handing over churches,” Wanjohi asserted.
Regarding visa processing, Wanjohi emphasized that Worthstart Company merely facilitates the application process, stressing that the final decision rests with the respective embassies. He claimed to possess documented proof of successful visa approvals for individuals facilitated by his organization, some of whom have already traveled to the US and Canada.
Wanjohi lamented significant losses in his business since the allegations surfaced, including a substantial reduction in staff. He attributed his absence during the accusations to being out of the country, only learning about the situation upon reactivating his Kenyan SIM card.
Assuring cooperation with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to aid in clearing his name, Wanjohi pledged to make himself available for questioning.
Victims of the April 24 raid alleged that despite assurances of job placements and expedited visa processing, Worthstart Africa remained unresponsive to inquiries and failed to deliver on promises made in exchange for fees ranging from Ksh. 100,000 to Ksh. 140,000 per applicant.
