Collins Kipleting, a 22-year-old artist, has been arrested for impersonating Deputy President, Rigathi Gachagua.
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI), Collins Kipleting obtained money after masquerading as the Deputy President with the lure of helping the needy.
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Kipleting obtained an unknown amount of money from unsuspected netizens who thought they were helping feed the hungry in Kenya.
Donations were channelled through a pay bill number which was connected to an account at Eldoret Standard Chartered Bank.
Kipleting has 14,000 followers on Facebook and this huge number and his persuasive campaign to feed the hungry were enough to convince unsuspecting users to send money with the assumption that he was legit.
“Good evening Kenyans should we gather something for our fellow Kenyans suffering from drought? Let us come together and do a public Harambee for them it will assist them for some time be blessed so much as we support them,” Read the Facebook post-Collins Kipleting posted on Facebook.
Investigators connected to the Deputy President’s office launched an investigation and man haunt to find Collins Kipleting. He was arrested in Sugoi Uasin Gishu county.
“He was arrested after he created a fake Facebook account bearing the Deputy President’s name and obtained money from unsuspecting netizens, He appealed to his over 14,000 followers to come together and raise funds for the victims of hunger, promising God’s blessings to those who would heed to the appeal,” read a post from the DCI.
Aside from this recent Deputy President fiasco, Collins Kipleting has also been allegedly posting more false information on social media.
One of the disinforming stories he posted was that of Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) secretary general, Wilson Sossion, being appointed CEO of the Teacher Service Commission (TSC).
Kipleting awaits sentencing following his arrest. These cases have become more rampant and one should be cautious of who they are following on social media.
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