Businessman awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to fraud charges
Caleb Onaya admitted that he defrauded Daniel Mainga of the money on November 8, 2024 in Huruma, Mathare Sub county in Nairobi while pretending he could help him get the loan and by a 14 seater matatu in Mombasa knowing the same was false
A businessman who defrauded a friend of Sh110, 000 while pretending to be in a position to facilitate him get a Sh450,000 loan is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to charges of obtaining money by false pretenses.
Caleb Onaya admitted that he defrauded Daniel Mainga of the money on November 8, 2024 in Huruma, Mathare Sub county in Nairobi while pretending he could help him get the loan and by a 14 seater matatu in Mombasa knowing the same was false.
He was convicted after pleading guilty to the charges and admitting facts of the case as read out to him in court.
The court heard that Mainga had met Onaya who is his friend at Kariobangi while looking for a matatu and the convict. Onaya discouraged Mainga from buying a vehicle he had identified and instead said he would help him get a better one.
The two later met in Kiambu where Mainga had found a vehicle on sale but Onaya still discouraged him from buying the vehicle because it was not accident free.
Omaya advised Mainga to proceed to Mombasa to buy a vehicle but the complainant was hesitant because he suspected the vehicle the convict was directing him to was expensive.
The two later met on November 8, 2024 to discuss a vehicle that Mainga had found in Upperhill but the convict once more discouraged him from purchasing it and instead, asked him to deposit the cash in his NCBA bank account so that he could facilitate him get a loan of Sh450, 000 and not charge him any interest. Mainga was to proceed to Mombasa to purchase the vehicle one week after the loan deal.
The two later proceeded to a hotel in Githurai where an agreement was drafted then they proceeded to a nearby Cyber where the agreement was typed and printed.
Thereafter, Mainga transferred the money from his M-pesa account to the bank account I two transactions.
They signed the agreement and Onaya promised to start the process of securing a loan for Mainga the following week. He promised to get him the vehicle before December 10, 2024.
Mainga learnt later that he had been conned and reported the matter to police and investigations were conducted before Onaya was traced and arrested.
In mitigation, Onaya told the court that he had spent the money on his wife’s treatment.
Bindali ordered for a pre-sentencing report to be tabled on July 10, 2025 before sentencing the convict.
