Mary Waithira, a Kenyan woman who has lived in the United States since 2015, had always dreamed of retiring back home. After years of working and saving, she set her eyes on owning a home near Kenyatta Road in Kiambu, where she hoped to live a peaceful life.
In 2020, she came across an online video advertising a housing project in the area. Excited by the opportunity but unable to travel, she decided to invest and asked her younger sister in Kenya to oversee the purchase.
Mary sent Ksh 4.5 million, convinced it would secure her a three-bedroom house. However, the outcome was far from what she expected. Out of the full amount, only Ksh 1.4 million ever reached the housing developer. Her sister allegedly diverted Ksh 3.1 million for personal use, leaving the dream in ruins.
By the time Mary discovered what had happened, the housing company had already collapsed. With the developer gone, there was no way to recover even the little money that had been paid.
Her frustrations were compounded by complications with her U.S. residency papers, which made it impossible for her to return to Kenya and pursue legal or police action.
What cut Mary deepest was not just the financial loss but the betrayal by her own sister, whom she had trusted completely.
Her ordeal highlights a common struggle faced by many Kenyans in the diaspora who invest through relatives, only to be disappointed. She now warns others to exercise caution and insists that large transactions should be handled through professional and verifiable channels.
Mary is slowly picking up the pieces of her life, but she hopes her painful story serves as a lesson for others never to rely solely on blind trust when investing back home.
