Residents of Rongai Town on Friday, September 30 expressed their furore towards a credit company they accused of defrauding them millions of shillings. 

According to the residents, the company established a branch in Rongai Town in late 2021 and subsequently lured them into opening savings accounts with the promise of offering them cheap loans and profits five times their deposits. 

The victims claimed that they were lured by the sweet terms and conditions of the said savings and credit cooperative company (Sacco).   

Through its alleged 'bottom-up economic model', borrowed from the Kenya Kwanza coalition’s campaigns, the Sacco further pledged to turn around the lives of the residents who were struggling to make ends meet.  

An aerial view of Ongata Rongai town in Kajiado County.   TWITTER

However, the residents were confronted by a rude shock after the company closed its office doors in Rongai Town.  

"The company came up and told us to save and promised to give back up to three times of the savings back."

Efforts to pursue justice were derailed by what the victims claimed to be a sluggish response by the police. According to the residents, they reported the matter to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) albeit without any significant action to unravel the mystery. 

"We reported the matter to the DCI, but every time we turn to them they insist that they are still following up," they lamented.

According to the victims, the company has a history of controversies emanating from past complaints. They called upon the President William Ruto to intervene in their pursuit of justice. 

"This a criminal who has been stealing in your 'name', we want action to be taken and not just aiding us to recover our money," one of the victims lamented.

Notably, cases of syndicates of this nature are not new in Kenya. In 2021, the Sacco Societies Regulatory authority (SASRA) established the Sacco Society Fraud Investigation Unit (SSFIU) to help in investigating cases of fraud related to Saccos.  

Former president, Uhuru Kenyatta, ordered the establishment of SSFIU after a series of fraud cases related to SACCOS. 

Uhuru directed the DCI and SASRA to collaborate in probing the cases. 

Directorate of Criminal Investigations headquarters along Kiambu Road SIMON KIRAGU KENYANS.CO.KE