The Kenya Forest Service (KFS) has issued statement warning Kenyans of fraudsters pretending to be officials inquiring on the progress of forest plantations for harvesting.
In a statement shared on Wednesday, January 22, 2025, KFS noted that the said fraudster uses the number 0721440278 and identifies as a senior KFS staff.
“Kenya Forest Service wishes to warn the public to beware of fraudsters pretending to make calls enquiring on the progress of forest plantations harvesting. These cons are using the number 0721440278 and identifying themselves as senior KFS staff,” KFS said in a statement.
KFS has been keen on putting fraudsters and corrupt officials on notice.
Last year, the agency interdicted two officers following their arrest by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) in a suspected fraud syndicate.
Issuing a statement, KFS affirmed that it does not support nor condone any kind of corruption and pledged to promptly address similar instances.
“All KFS staff are made aware of the Anti-Corruption Policy, Staff Code of Conduct and Whistleblowers Policy, which uphold a zero-tolerance stance against corruption,” KFS said.
The officials arrested, Elphas Wesonga, a conservator and Ibrahim Hussein, an accountant, were accused of overpaying casual employees at the agency and later demanding them to surrender the overpaid amounts for personal use.
“Further, the officials have been depositing money in the casuals’ bank accounts disguised as legitimate payments then later order the workers to withdraw and hand over to them,” EACC added.
The anti-corruption commission further indicated that preliminary investigations revealed that the two would shared the money collected among officers and their seniors.
