Man in court for defrauding couple at Lang'ata cemetery

A casual worker at the Lang'ata public cemetery who allegedly defrauded a couple of Sh10,000 while promising to cement the grave of their late daughter, is facing fraud charges at the Kibera Law Courts.

Mr Alfred Onyango Odhiambo is facing grave charges of obtaining money by false pretenses contrary to section 313 of the Penal Code where he is accused of defrauding Millicent Muthoni of the money.

The court heard that the suspect falsely pretended that he was in a position to cement the grave for the complainant’s late daughter at the juvenile area of the cemetery on September 1, 2024, a fact he knew was false.

The suspect had approached the complainant and her husband at the cemetery and told them that he is a skilled and seasoned mason, and even showed them some graves he claimed to have cemented in the past, to prove he could deliver to their expectations. He was charging them Sh20,000 for the work.

Ms Muthoni was impressed by Odhiambo’s ‘work’ after being showed the graves and she sent him Sh10,000 which he confirmed receiving to proceed to the hardware to buy materials to start the work.

He later returned to the graveyard and started removing the top soil using a jembe and later told them that the security had declined the arrangement and asked them to leave as he sorts out the issue.

While on their way, he called them claiming he had settled the issue with the security and asked for more money so that he could continue with the work.

But the two reported the matter at the Lang'ata Police Station the next day vide Occurrence Book (OB) 20/2/9/2024 as they had already started suspecting him.

Ms Muthoni’s husband returned to the grave four(4) days later and found nothing had been done.

He tricked him that he had the full amount and asked the suspect to meet to receive the remaining amount, without disclosing that he had visited the graveyard and confirmed no work had been done.

The suspect was arrested by police officers at the cemetery where he was doing decorations after he was identified with the same clothes he wore when he met Ms Muthoni and her husband.

He denied the charges when he was arraigned before the court and is awaiting trial.