NAIROBI, KENYA — TikTok personality Maria Wangari Kamunge, popularly known as Rish Kamunge, has been released on a Ksh.5 million bond following her arrest and arraignment on fraud allegations.
Chief Magistrate Lucas Onyina granted the bond on Friday morning, overruling the prosecution’s request for an additional seven days to continue investigations.
In his ruling, Magistrate Onyina stated that the prosecution failed to provide sufficient grounds for Kamunge’s continued detention. “The prosecution has not demonstrated that the suspect’s safety is at risk or provided evidence of multiple complainants filing grievances,” he noted.
The magistrate ordered Kamunge to report to the investigating officer until the case’s conclusion.
Kamunge, operating under the business name Trustpine Verified Agent Ltd, is accused of defrauding Kenyans by promising them overseas job opportunities in exchange for payments ranging from Ksh.200,000 to Ksh.300,000. After receiving the funds, she allegedly failed to deliver on her promises and became unreachable.
Police reports indicate that numerous complaints were filed against her between January 1 and March 20, 2025. Victims claim they were instructed to send money via M-Pesa to a mobile number registered under Kamunge’s name. When the promised jobs failed to materialize, they attempted to contact her, but she had reportedly gone into hiding.
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), a total of 43 victims sent Ksh.12.9 million to Kamunge. She was apprehended on March 26, 2025, in a Nairobi office building by members of the public, who then handed her over to the Central Police Station.
Since her arrest, additional victims have come forward with similar complaints, prompting the DCI to seek extended custody.
