Businessman and politician Mike Sonko has sounded the alarm over a new scam involving individuals pretending to raise money for fake funerals.
The former Nairobi Governor shared his encounter with a group of street families who allegedly tried to swindle him outside a city morgue. The group approached Sonko with notebooks in hand, claiming they were collecting funds to bury one of their own, a story that later turned out to be entirely fabricated.
According to Sonko, the group narrated a moving tale about how they had reformed from life on the streets and were now working together to give a proper send-off to a supposed five-year-old child killed in a hit-and-run incident.
“We are just asking well-wishers to help us foot the bill,” one of the alleged mourners pleaded. They added that they had already raised enough for a coffin but lacked funds to pay the morgue fees and transport costs.
Appearing convinced by their emotional appeal, Sonko, known for his generosity, offered to settle the remaining costs — but with one condition. He instructed one of his aides to accompany them to the morgue to confirm their story.
That’s when the scam unravelled. In a phone recording shared by Sonko on his social media pages, members of the group were overheard plotting to deceive the aide into persuading Sonko to send them the money.
“My friend, don’t worry, let’s play smart. Once Sonko sends the money, we’ll share it and disappear,” one of them was heard saying.
But the aide, unwilling to betray his boss’s trust, immediately reported the plan to Sonko. Furious yet composed, Sonko called the group leader and exposed their ruse.
“It’s shameful that you put so much effort into scamming people with fake stories just to buy drugs and waste your lives. Stop joking with death,” he warned sternly.
In a surprising twist, Sonko chose to end the confrontation on a positive note. He urged the group to organise themselves into a legitimate association so that he could support them with start-up capital for a small business.
“I will only donate for business, not for bad habits,” he said, leaving the embarrassed scammers to mutter apologies as their plot fell apart.
