Runyenjes: A Persons With Disability (PWD) Self-Help Group from Runyenjes Constituency, Embu County, is crying foul after Sh100,000 loan money was found missing from their bank account.
According to Kenya News Agency, the money was a loan advanced to them in March 2024 from Uwezo Fund to assist them in investing in income-generating projects. They alleged that the money was withdrawn from their account in Equity Bank, Runyenjes Branch, a week after they received and banked the cheque on March 7, 2024.
Distraught members of the group have said the move not only threw their investment plans into disarray, but also left them with the burden of repaying a loan that did not benefit them. 'When we were applying for the loan, we planned to invest in a pig rearing business,' decried group secretary Charles Nyaga.
They suspect involvement of some of their former members, in collusion with some staff from the State Department of Social Protection in the area. Nyaga said they came to learn of the theft when they went to the bank to confirm maturity of the cheque so they could start their project, only to find the money had already been withdrawn.
Group Chair Emilio Mwaniki said they suspect some of their errant members colluded with staff of the Department to produce a fake certificate to facilitate the withdrawal. He said they reported the matter to the police and were promised that investigations would be carried out, but one year down the line, no progress has been made. 'We wrote the statements, but since then, the matter has not gone to court and no action has been taken against the culprits,' he lamented.
The group that now engages in tree nursery business has called on the Government to intervene so that they can get their money back.