Kanu House con games persist despite Governor’s crackdown call
A section of the road near Kanu House where the con artists operate.
As you make your way past Kanu House and across to Prime Plaza, you will notice a tent outside Kanu House that has become infamous among many Nakuru residents.
These are no ordinary tents; cases of people being conned out of their hard-earned money after being lured inside have been reported on more than one occasion. However, the individuals continue to operate in broad daylight.
On Tuesday, during the Jukwaa la Usalama baraza organised by the Ministry of Interior, Governor Susan Kihika raised the matter as she sought intervention from the national government to put a stop to it.
“I have a very notorious group of gamblers outside Kanu House, wanaibia kila mtu and the police are sometimes part of it juu ukienda kuwashika they are informed, but it never gets resolved. I was being told kuna mama ametoka mashambani ameibiwa pesa yake pale na alikuwa ameenda kulipa school fees, so it is a very serious issue,” Ms Kihika said.
The issue was also addressed by Deputy Inspector General Gilbert Masengeli, who ordered a crackdown on the gambling extortion ring.
"Her Excellency has talked about gambling. Communicate with the sub-county security. This issue must be resolved. People must be protected," he said.
However, on August 13, Mtaa Wangu conducted a spot check and found that it was business as usual for the group. Young men and women were standing a few metres away from the tent, trying to entice unsuspecting passers-by into it. We could not identify the specific prize, but we saw a pressure cooker in a box at one point.
We also observed that these scammers seemed to profile the people they approached, looking out for the elderly whom they could easily lure into their tent with the promise of winning big.
According to Nakuru County Police Commander Emmanuel Opuru, due process must be followed when removing such individuals from the area.
"We have to do our due diligence and carry out investigations before deciding on the way forward with regard to that issue,' he said.
On October 27, 2024, Mtaa Wangu published an article highlighting an exclusive con game taking place on Kenyatta Avenue. The article provided a detailed account of how these individuals took advantage of unsuspecting passers-by with the false promise of winning televisions, phones, and other home appliances.
Following the exposé, members of the public descended on the perpetrators and destroyed their property.