Property fraudsters wreak havoc on Kenyan diaspora

Scores of Kenyans living and working abroad have recounted painful ordeals that have robbed them of multi-million property investments back home.

This ranges from being defrauded by property firms to individuals preying on their property owing to their absence.

With billions of shillings plowed back into the country from foreign countries, it is a sad tale for many after their hard-earned money abroad is also misappropriated by friends and relatives entrusted.

Diaspora remittances have since become Kenya's top foreign exchange earner beating major exports such as coffee, tea, and horticulture. This is as Kenyans living and working abroad sent over Sh453.6 billion in 2022.

Weak policy

Europe contributed a huge share of the remittances at 18.1 percent and the rest of the world accounted for 21.8 percent of the total remittances in the eleven months to November last year.

Despite the economy's high reliance on foreign remittances, the country's diaspora policy remains poor, leaving many Kenyans abroad frustrated.

Amos Wachira recounted how on October 28, 2021, while in Ireland, he learned of the demolition of his rental house in Pangani, Nairobi where he had invested over Sh5 million in repairs after he acquired it through a mortgage.

The gang pulled down a section of the building where he had been paying a monthly mortgage payment of Sh140, 000 monthly, he said disclosing that call to the police landed on deaf ears.

"In my quest for answers and justice, I immediately sought legal help and reported the matter to the police, only to discover they were part of the syndicate in grabbing the property," said Wachira.

Over the years, the Kenyan diaspora has raised complaints over the loss of their hard-earned money through friends, land grabbers, and fraudsters with little to be recovered.

This has led to the emergence of groups or unions for Kenyans working abroad to keep a united front and access help if investments back home go awry.

One such outfit is the Tuungane Diaspora Union where Wachira is the chairperson. The platform is aimed at helping the Kenyan diaspora in cases their property investments are preyed upon or are conned after purchasing.

Tuungane Diaspora Union chairman Amos Wachira says after numerous attempts to seek help from the relevant authorities, the Diasporas have had to organise themselves.

"This ordeal of individuals losing their property has affected the members emotionally and financially. We remain steadfast in pursuit of justice and raising awareness about the pervasive issue of land grabbing in Kenya," said Wachira.

Grabbed title deed

Jean Owino from the UK recounts how a parcel of land she bought in Nairobi's Kayole in 2012 and was issued with a title deed has been grabbed.

She said that she was issued an ownership document in 2016 only for another individual to settle on the property three years ago while she was in the UK.

"I flew home after I was alerted over the invasion and alerted the authorities and including the police over the issue without any assistance," said Owino.

She moved to court but the intruder continued construction of a building despite numerous court orders.

Hellen Ngari, a Kenyan based in the US, recounts her tribulations after a real estate company in Ruiru adamantly declined to release her two title deeds.

Hellen Ngari says a land-selling firm that she bought two parcels of land from has since 2011 been assuring her that she will get her title deeds.

"My patience has run out ... I'm still waiting for the title deeds as proof of ownership of the two parcels of land in Ruiru town. The authorities should deal with the rouge land firms that have remained holding the investors' documents," said Ngari.

Another investor, Simon Njenga, who resides in Ireland, recounts how he paid Sh3.9 million for the construction of a three-bedroomed house.

Government help

He says he paid a Sh2 million deposit before the construction became slow and when he questioned the constructors he threatened to sell the property.

"The developers' threats to sell the property, which was just a bare structure at that point. Despite my concerns, I paid the balance, hoping for the best but the project stopped," said Njenga.

He flew back and was thrown to shock after he found the ground bare and forced to supervise the construction himself.

"The experience has been incredibly frustrating and disappointing. I trusted the developers with my hard-earned money, and they failed to deliver on their promises," he said.

Andrew Ndung'u, who resides in Ireland, says his engagement with a certain popular real estate firm that's now facing troubles, drained him of Sh1.2 million when he invested in one of their units at a gated housing community.

"I was left empty-handed without any investment. I'm calling on the government to conduct an investigation to save Kenyans from frustration,'' he said.

The endless stories of Kenyan diasporas pouring frustrations of losing their hard-earned money amid slow wheels of justice to recover their funds are what has led them to register a union as a platform to air, defend and seek a reprieve.

Carol Wanjiru, who lives in Germany, also expressed frustrations after her investment turned sank.

Wanjiru regrets the ordeal after his entire experience has been a nightmare as she involved an official at the Nairobi City County in the land transaction.

She said the parcel of land she bought was later grabbed and engaged by a lot of individuals to secure it but was offered another one.

"It is a hard lesson to many and the investors should be cautious when buying land, and to thoroughly verify the ownership and legal status of the property," said Wanjiru.

According to Kenya's Diaspora Policy, some of the challenges they face include the cost of remitting money, inadequate capacity to offer consular services, inadequate mechanisms of protecting Kenyans in the Diaspora, weak structures to inform Kenyans in the Diaspora of investment opportunities, untapped skills, and expertiseand lack of an integrated database on Kenyans abroad.

As he took office last year, Kenya's Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Cabinet Secretary Dr Alfred Mutua promised to protect the welfare of Kenyans living and working abroad.

"We want to protect the interest and lives of every Kenyan - those at home and those who go abroad - who are our primary responsibility. We will ensure that any Kenyan in the diaspora knows that this ministry and country cares about them," he said.