Pastor promised us greener pastures in Saudi- suspects

Two Busia residents stunned a Nairobi court after pleading guilty to charges of attempted forgery.

They two were allegedly planning to travel to Saudi Arabia in search of jobs as domestic workers using fake passports.

Sussy Amoit Ekasiba alias Ann Wambui Nyambura and Hellen Atyangiworet alias Elizabeth Mulama Nagudi allegedly travelled from Busia in September.

They were arrested at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on October 4 after immigration officials became suspicious of their travel documents.

Senior Principal Magistrate Ellena Nderitu said, “The court is aware of an upsurge in the number of cases in which unsuspecting Kenyan women have either lost their lives or have been held in labour camps where they are either tortured or abused. The offence against the accused persons is serious since the court cannot tell the number of Kenyans who have already travelled to the Middle East using such fraudulent means despite the dangers they are likely to encounter away from home.”

Ekasiba and Atyangiworet pleaded with the court claiming they had been duped by a Kitengela-based pastor known as Elijah.

The court heard that the pastor had promised the suspects well-paying jobs once they landed in Riyadh.

The court also heard that the pastor had promised their relatives back home in Malaba that he could facilitate their travel arrangements.

Ekasiba told the court she was a widow trying to fend for her three children.

“I was told by pastor Elijah who came to our home that there were several job opportunities in Saudi Arabia, and that I would be paid good money besides free meals and accommodation,” Ekasiba told the magistrate.

The suspects claimed they had spent a month at the pastor’s home in Kitengela as he processed their travel documents.

The two pleaded with the court not to hand them a harsh sentence, claiming they received the passports from an accomplice only hours after arriving at the airport.

The magistrate directed the two remain in custody until October 21 when the probation officer is expect to avail a report about them.