An American retiree who travelled to Kenya in search of a new home and perhaps love has found himself at the centre of a social media storm after claiming a Kenyan woman vanished with his passport and savings just days after his arrival.
Cliff, who goes by the username @cliff2381 on TikTok, says he flew into Nairobi with plans to explore life in East Africa. “I was trying to decide between Kenya and Tanzania,” he said in a now-viral video. “But I chose Kenya because it has the most beautiful women in the world.”
But things took a sharp turn just four days into his stay. The woman he had been living with disappeared from their rented house and took more than just her belongings.
“She left with everything, including the money I kept in my bags. And worst of all, she took my passport,” Cliff said in a TikTok post filmed from a small room he’s now calling home. “I can’t even go back home. I’m stuck.”
With no documents and no clear way forward, Cliff says he wandered into a local grocery shop looking for help. There, he met a man who, in an odd twist, allegedly introduced himself as Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs and promised to assist him in getting his passport back. It remains unclear whether the man was genuine or joking.
His situation caught the attention of Kenyan TikTok users, including a content creator named @thithand3, who has since taken him in. Cliff is now staying in the TikToker’s modest bedsitter as they work together to resolve his case.
Online reactions have been mixed. Some users have offered support, while others expressed concern over the risks of trusting strangers too quickly. A few went further, warning foreigners about being “too naïve” in cross-border romances.
“Stories like these are why some people say you have to be very careful with Kenyan women,” wrote one user under a video of Cliff. Others, however, called for empathy and urged people not to generalise.
Kenyan authorities have not publicly commented on the matter. It’s also not clear whether a formal police report has been filed or if the U.S. Embassy has stepped in.
For now, Cliff continues to post TikToks some humorous, others weary as he waits to recover his documents and figure out what’s next.
“I still like Kenya,” he said in a recent video, managing a weak smile. “But I didn’t expect this.”
