Kamiti inmate impersonates CS Wamalwa, defrauds Ph.D. holder of Sh800,000

Kamiti Maximum Security Prison, 2014. [Jenipher Wachie, Standard]

 A convict serving a life sentence at Kamiti Maximum Security Prison has admitted to swindling a job seeker Sh800,000 by pretending to be Defense Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa.

Patrick Shikure Amere, who appeared before Chief Magistrate Wendy Kagendo at Nairobi's Milimani court on Friday, confessed to pretending he was the CS and that he would help his victim to get a job at State House.

He committed the offence while at Kamiti where he has been a prisoner for the last 15 years.

The charge sheet, read by prosecutor Harrison Kigunda, stated that on diverse dates between July 24, 2020, and September 11, 2020, Amere jointly with another suspect also before the court with intent to defraud, obtained Sh800,000 from Dr Selina Vukinu Ambe.

Amere and his accomplice told Ambe that by paying the money, she would secure a job in the public service, a fact they knew to be false. The prosecutor told the magistrate that Amere and his accomplice befriended the victim through social media before defrauding her.

Patrick Shikure Amere in the dock at the Milimani Law Courts, February 11, 2022. [Collins Kweyu, Standard]

"Your honour, the accused met the victim by befriending her on Facebook and introduced himself as Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa," said Gikunda.

The prosecutor told the court that the accused advised the complainant to send him her CV so he could deliver it to State House, Nairobi, for the position of human resources manager.

According to Gikunda, the victim fell prey to the accused's con game as she forwarded her CV.

"Amere made a fake appointment letter purportedly signed by the head of the civil service Joseph Kinyua," said Gikunda.

According to the fake letter dated August 5, 2020, Ambe would report to work on August 7, 2020.

"The complainant discovered she had been conned after Amere's phone went off for several days. She reported the matter to the police and investigations began. The investigations led the officers to Kamiti prison before the accused was presented in court for plea taking," said Gikunda.

Chief Magistrate Wendy Kagendo directed the investigating officer to investigate Patrick Shikure Amere's accomplices. [Courtesy]

When Kagendo asked him to defend himself in court, Amere pleaded guilty to the offense and said he had nothing more to say.

Kagendo ordered that the accused be brought back in court on February 22 for sentencing after more investigations on him are done.

The magistrate also directed the investigating officer to investigate Amere's accomplices and establish whether the money can be recovered from them.