Women stranded overnight after paying to meet President Ruto

One of the Kakamega women who was duped and coned money in a State House trip scam. [Benard Lusigi, Standard]

More than 200 women from Kakamega County who had hoped to meet President William Ruto at State House, Nairobi, were left stranded overnight after a promised trip failed to materialise, with each having paid Sh3,450 to secure a place on the journey.

What had been presented as a rare opportunity for survivors of the 2007–2008 post-election violence to meet the Head of State, share their experiences and seek government assistance turned into a night of confusion and anger amid accusations of fraud.

The women say they were persuaded to pay for transport after being told that the President wanted to meet them and had even made arrangements to host them for a meal at State House.

But after assembling at Muliro Gardens in Kakamega town at about 9pm to board buses to Nairobi, the promised transport failed to arrive.

They waited for hours, hoping the vehicles would eventually show up, but were instead given a series of explanations about the President's whereabouts and preparations for their reception.

By 11 pm, anxiety had turned into frustration, with the women demanding answers and refunds from those who had organised the trip.

More than Sh1 million is believed to have been collected from the group, with each woman reportedly contributing Sh3,450.

Led by Doreen Achilla, the women accused individuals who had approached them with the promise of a  State House invitation of taking advantage of their vulnerability and desperation for government support.

Achilla said the group had been approached by one of their colleagues, who informed them that the President wanted to meet survivors of the post-election violence.

"We are surprised because we were given entry cards to State House, but the vehicle never arrived. We assembled at Muliro Gardens at around 9pm to board the bus to Nairobi, but after waiting for three hours, we started feeling that something was wrong," she said.

One of the Kakamega women who was duped and coned money in a State House trip scam. [Benard Lusigi, Standard]

For many of the women, the promised visit was an opportunity they could not afford to miss, particularly because most had never set foot inside State House.

The prospect of meeting the President had raised hopes that their long-standing grievances would finally receive attention.

Gladys, one of the affected women, said she was so determined to attend that she borrowed money from a friend at the market to pay the required contribution.

"It was going to be my first time entering State House. When the news reached us that everyone should make an effort to ensure they did not miss the opportunity, I took a loan from a friend in the market to secure my place," she said.

She said the invitation had been communicated through a fellow trader, Dorcas Jemimah, who also sells maize at their local market.

Because Jemimah was known to them, Gladys said, the group did not suspect anything unusual when she announced that the President wanted to meet them.

"She is one of us, and when she brought the news, we did not doubt her. She said the President wanted to meet the victims, and we prepared ourselves by paying the money and making arrangements for the visit," she said.

The women further claim they were persuaded by assurances that food and tents had been arranged for them at State House, making the invitation appear genuine.

However, when the buses failed to arrive, they were reportedly told that the President was not yet available but was expected to arrive and was making arrangements for their reception.

"We were told that the President was not around, but that he was about to arrive and was preparing tents for food. We were surprised. How could he invite us when he was not prepared? We asked ourselves many questions. If the Head of State had cancelled the meeting, we should have been informed," Gladys said.

As the night wore on, some women became increasingly impatient and demanded that the organisers refund their contributions so they could return home.

Achilla said the group had been coordinating with a woman identified to them as Refa, whom they understood to be in charge of the arrangements.

The women now want those who collected the money to account for it and explain why the promised journey was abandoned.

For some, the financial loss has compounded the disappointment of missing what they believed was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to present their grievances directly to the President.

Sarah Makungu said the incident was particularly painful because it was not the first time women in the group had allegedly been conned through promises of access to the President.

She said the affected women eventually sought refuge at Kakamega Central Police Station as confusion escalated, but accused officers of failing to provide adequate assistance.

"We went to the police station to report the matter, but we were only told to write down our names. After a few minutes, we were chased away. The woman was arrested and detained, but we were chased away. We want justice and intervention by the President," she said.

The confrontation reportedly turned ugly when some women confronted the woman accused of coordinating the trip, leading to an altercation before she was taken into police custody.

The women said they spent the night seeking answers and assistance, with many struggling to come to terms with the loss of money they had raised through borrowing and personal savings.

Their grievances are particularly poignant because the proposed meeting was meant to give survivors of the 2007–2008 post-election violence an opportunity to raise concerns about the challenges they continue to face years after the violence.

They now want the government to intervene, help recover their contributions and ensure that those responsible are held accountable.

Kakamega OCPD Vincent Cherutich confirmed that police had arrested one of the suspects linked to the incident.

He said officers were conducting investigations and recording statements from those affected before the suspect is arraigned in court.

Cherutich said police were pursuing the matter to establish how the money was collected, the circumstances surrounding the failed trip and whether other individuals were involved.

The women are now appealing to President Ruto to intervene, saying the alleged scheme had exploited their hope of finally being heard by the government.