A clergyman with the African Independent Pentecostal Church of Africa (AIPCA) has been arrested for allegedly defrauding an Ethiopian refugee of Sh3 million while masquerading as an officer with the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU).
The suspect, Reverend Richard Macharia Njuguna, 57, was arrested on Tuesday in a covert operation led by ATPU detectives at Overstone Hotel in Ruiru, near the Eastern Bypass. He serves as a priest at the AIPCA Juja Farm Parish under the Thika South Diocese.
Authorities say Rev. Njuguna posed as a senior ATPU officer and falsely claimed he could fast-track Kenyan citizenship for the refugee. His arrest has sparked renewed concerns over an alarming trend of fraud cases involving fake government agents and forged documents.
According to investigators, Njuguna’s scheme began in December 2024 and ran through February 2025. The victim—whose identity is being withheld for security reasons—was led to believe the priest had connections at the Directorate of Immigration Services.
Detectives say the priest demanded several staggered payments from the refugee totaling Sh3,030,500. The money was reportedly paid under the pretext of covering a “processing fee” for Kenyan citizenship.
Following a complaint lodged at Capitol Hill Police Station, the case was handed over to ATPU due to its sensitive nature. Njuguna was tracked and arrested without resistance.
A subsequent search of his Kahawa West residence and vehicle yielded a trove of fake government documents and official seals, raising alarm over the extent of the alleged con.
Among the forged items recovered were stamps and seals purporting to be from:
- The Chief Magistrate’s Court in Nairobi
- Kenya Immigration Office at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA)
- Immigration Control Office in Busia
- Kenya’s Embassy in Somalia
- Ministry of Lands Headquarters
Authorities now suspect that the priest may be part of a larger syndicate impersonating government officials to defraud unsuspecting individuals, especially refugees and foreigners seeking legal status in Kenya.
Investigations are ongoing as the police seek to uncover the full scope of Rev. Njuguna’s alleged operations and identify any possible accomplices or additional victims.
