Tana River woman seeks justice after Losing Sh27.8 million in alleged fraud

A woman from Tana River, allegedly defrauded of USD 216,000 (approximately Sh27.8 million) by a money transfer firm in Eastleigh, Nairobi, has urged the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) to swiftly charge the company’s manager, who is the prime suspect.

Rahma Abdullahi Adam, a resident of the United States, has written to the ODPP through her lawyer, Danstan Omari, lamenting that she continues to incur significant expenses while staying in Nairobi to follow up on the case. Her costs include flight tickets, accommodation, and lost work opportunities in the US.

Rahma lost the money at Taaj Money Transfer after visiting the company’s offices at Yare Towers in 2023 and later returning to the US. She had intended to invest the money in real estate, and the suspect, Abdullahi Abdi Hussein, had pledged to facilitate the transaction but failed to do so since December 2023.

Rahma’s father travelled from Tana River to Nairobi to inquire about the situation, but Abdi claimed he had not received a single cent of the money and that it had been lost within Taaj’s system.

"He then went ahead to promise that he intended to work extra hard and even sell his shares at Taaj Money Transfer’s Eastleigh branch to refund the money," Omari stated.

"Our client travelled back to Kenya on December 31, 2024, to follow up on the matter at Taaj Money Transfer. However, due to concerns over Abdi's and Taaj’s fraudulent activities, the Eastleigh branch was shut down, and Abdi was allegedly dismissed from his role as branch manager."

Rahma reported the matter to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) at Kilimani, Nairobi, on January 2, 2025, leading to the arrest of Abdullahi Abdi Hussein, the company’s manager.

The suspect was arraigned at the Kibera Law Courts on January 6, where the DCI sought orders to detain him pending investigations. However, he was released on a cash bail of Sh100,000, allowing him to remain at liberty during the probe.

Omari argues that this amount is disproportionately low compared to the sum his client lost.

Abdi has since been dismissed as the company’s manager, and the Eastleigh offices have been closed following Rahma’s demands for reimbursement.

"Our client’s efforts to resolve the matter outside court through elders from her community have been undermined by the suspect’s surety, who has insinuated that she will only get so far in her pursuit of justice," Omari’s letter states.

"In light of the above, and given that our client strongly believes in the rule of law and hopes to recover her hard-earned money, we kindly request your office to make a decision pursuant to Article 157 of the Constitution to approve the charges against the suspect."

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• Eastleigh
• Eastleigh
• Rahma Abdullahi Adam
• Taaj Money Transfer
• Abdullahi Abdi Hussein
• Tana River woman seeks justice after Losing Sh27.8 million in alleged fraud
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