Kenas Oyugi Nabbed for €25K Scam on Tourist at Maasai Mara
Suspect posed as friend before vanishing with cards, valuables
NAIROBI, Kenya — A man accused of masterminding a €25,000 scam targeting a Greek tourist visiting Kenya’s famed Maasai Mara has been arrested.
Kenas Okello Oyugi was taken into custody by the Nairobi Region Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau, who say he used an alias to befriend the tourist and then fled with his belongings.
Police reports indicate the tourist arrived in Nairobi on August 5. The following day, he traveled to Maasai Mara Game Park with his tour guide and an acquaintance he met online, who identified himself as “Jeremiah John.”
Once at the park, “Jeremiah” disappeared—taking with him:
Three debit cards
A mobile phone
A Seiko Crystal wristwatch
Soon after, €25,000 in unauthorized transactions were made from the tourist’s account.
Investigators later discovered “Jeremiah John” was a false identity. A forensic investigation traced the suspect to a hideout in Nairobi, leading to the arrest of Kenas Oyugi.
During the arrest, police recovered:
Multiple mobile phones
The stolen wristwatch
KSh 54,050 in cash
An undisclosed amount in US dollars
A new tour trek bicycle, allegedly bought using the stolen funds
Oyugi is currently held at Central Police Station in Nairobi and is expected to appear in court soon.
Authorities warned of increasingly sophisticated scams targeting tourists and urged caution when engaging with strangers during travel—even in well-known tourist destinations.
Investigations are ongoing, and more arrests may follow.
