A Mombasa court has charged a woman with defrauding a disabled man of Sh2.2 million in what appears to be a case of deceit under the guise of love.

Ms. Rukia Suleiman appeared before a Mombasa court on Friday, where she pleaded not guilty to charges of obtaining money under false pretenses and cheating.

According to the charges, Ms. Suleiman is accused of persuading Mr. Zula Abdallah Juma, a man living with disability, to give her money under false promises of purchasing land and constructing a house in Kiembeni.

It is alleged that Ms. Suleiman, who was Mr. Juma’s fiancée at the time, managed to obtain the money through fraudulent means.

Investigations revealed that Mr. Juma, a resident of Holland, had been sending money to Ms. Suleiman to construct a house where they were supposed to reside after their wedding, scheduled for last month.

However, upon returning to Kenya for their wedding preparations, Mr. Juma discovered that Ms. Suleiman began avoiding him and making excuses to stay away from the newly built house.

Further investigations uncovered that Ms. Suleiman was already married to another man and was living in the house Mr. Juma believed he had financed.

Mr. Juma, who suffered a spinal injury due to a past accident, reported the matter to the police after realizing he had been deceived.

The alleged offenses are said to have occurred between May 25, 2020, and February 13 of this year.

In her court appearance before Mombasa Senior Resident Magistrate David Odhiambo, Ms. Suleiman denied the charges.

She was released on a Sh1.5 million bond, with a surety of a similar amount, pending further court proceedings scheduled for March 15, 2024.

The case highlights the vulnerability of individuals, particularly those with disabilities, to exploitation and fraud, underscoring the importance of legal protections and safeguards in such situations.

Written By: Peter Maseke.