Ignore fake Facebook accounts impersonating Kenyan governor Irungu Kang'ata to promote bogus loans
The Facebook accounts Hon Irungu Kang'ata LOANS and Governor Irungu Kang'ata claim to offer loans to Kenyans.
These accounts use the name and photos of Murang'a county governor Irungu Kang'ata.
Murang'a is 85 kilometres away from Nairobi, Kenya's capital.
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One post, dated 27 April 2025, reads: "Hello, would you like to benefit from my INUA JAMII loans which is in partnership with NCBA LOOP BANK?.Don't worry,the loan has zero interest rate? The loans starts from Ksh.5,000 to Ksh.950,000. You will pay back the loan in 21 months. For assistance call my secretary 0750796196."
The rest of the post promises loans ranging from KSh5,000 to KSh950,000 (about US$40 to $7,300), repayable over 21 months. To qualify, users must pay a "security deposit", which increases with the loan amount. The post instructs applicants to provide their personal details, including full name, ID number, phone number and location.
Interested users are instructed to contact Kang'ata's "secretary" via the phone number provided. They are also encouraged to use WhatsApp via a listed short link.
Another post, dated 7 June, reads: "Wale mnataka loan za kufanyia mahitaji yenu, lazima muwe registered before mtumiwe hizo pesa Kwa simu. HAPPY SABBATH."
This translates as: "Those who want loans to use for their needs, you must be registered before the money is sent to your phone. HAPPY SABBATH."
In Kenya, scammers often create fake Facebook accounts or pages that impersonate prominent politicians or government officials. They then claim to offer loans with easy access. Once they have gained the trust of their victims, they demand upfront "registration" or "security" fees and collect personal details before vanishing without issuing the loans.
But do these accounts belong to Kang'ata?
Signs of a scam
The poor quality of the writing in the accounts' posts is the first sign that the ads are a scam. A prominent Kenyan governor would probably have a professional social media management team, or at least someone on their staff responsible for public communications. They wouldn't post content with random capitalisation, spelling errors or odd punctuation.
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Some of the posts mention Inua Jamii, the Kenyan government programme that gives cash grants to poor and vulnerable people. Inua jamii is Kiswahili for "uplift the community". There are no loan offers on the programme's official Facebook page.
Another red flag is the demand for an upfront "security deposit". Legitimate financial or government institutions do not ask for advance payments or conduct official loan processes via WhatsApp.
Kang'ata's official Facebook page was created on 3 February 2018 and has 90,000 followers. It contains no loan offers.
The accounts posting these offers are new and only began posting in 2025. It is unlikely that Kang'ata would operate two relatively new accounts to advertise loans.
Read our guide to Facebook scams and how to spot them here.
