A family in Tongaren, Bungoma County, is mourning not one but two devastating losses after what they describe as a fraudulent compensation scheme allegedly orchestrated by lawyer Hudson Sitati Wamukota following the death of their kin in a road accident.
The family of Job Simiyu Wafula says Wamukota, who allegedly operated under the unregistered firm Hudson Sitati & Company Advocates, conned them out of more than KSh1.5 million while promising to secure at least KSh20 million in compensation after Wafula died in a fatal road accident in Kirinyaga County on January 24, 2026.
According to the family, the lawyer convinced them to release the money over a period of about two months while assuring them the compensation claim was progressing successfully.
However, the family now claims no formal retainer agreement, client brief, or fee arrangement was ever signed as required under the Advocates Act.
The situation reportedly took a tragic turn after Esther Naliaka, the wife of David Wanjala Siundu, developed hypertension in April after learning the family had allegedly been defrauded. She died on Wednesday morning, compounding the grief already hanging over the household.
Her body is currently lying at the Kiminini Hospital mortuary.
Relatives say the family’s shop business has also collapsed after stocks diminished amid the financial strain caused by the alleged scam.
Wamukota has reportedly acknowledged receiving the money but is yet to refund the family, instead allegedly offering excuses and promises.
Efforts by the family to seek justice through the Advocates Complaints Commission and the Law Society of Kenya have allegedly yielded little progress, leaving them frustrated and financially devastated.
The Consumers Federation of Kenya (COFEK) has since stepped into the matter, vowing to pursue accountability through all available legal channels.
In a statement, COFEK condemned the alleged exploitation of a grieving family, saying the matter raises serious concerns about accountability within the legal profession.
“The family has suffered unimaginable pain, financial ruin, and now a second death allegedly linked to the stress arising from the fraud. We shall pursue accountability through all available civil, criminal, disciplinary, and constitutional avenues,” COFEK said.
The consumer rights lobby further confirmed that its lawyers have already taken over the Kerugoya fatal accident compensation case as investigations into the alleged fraud continue.