A family in Tongaren, Bungoma County, is struggling to come to terms with two painful losses after what started as a search for justice following the death of their relative in a road accident.
The family says they were misled by a lawyer who promised them a huge compensation payout after the death of Job Simiyu Wafula, who died in a fatal road accident in Kirinyaga County on January 24, 2026. Instead of receiving help, they now say they have been left financially destroyed and emotionally broken.
According to the family, lawyer Hudson Sitati Wamukota, who was operating under Hudson Sitati & Company Advocates, convinced them that the accident claim could earn them at least Ksh. 20 million in compensation. Believing they were dealing with a genuine legal process, the family reportedly handed over more than Ksh. 1.5 million within a period of about two months.
However, the family later discovered that there was no formal agreement, no signed legal instructions, and no official fee arrangement between them and the lawyer as required by law.
They now claim they were deceived at a time when they were grieving and desperate for support.
The situation took a tragic turn when Esther Naliaka, the wife of David Wanjala Siundu, developed serious health complications after learning that the money had allegedly been lost through the suspected fraud. Family members say she began suffering from hypertension in April after the truth emerged.
She died on Wednesday morning, adding another painful loss to the family. Her body is currently lying at the Kiminini Hospital mortuary as relatives struggle to raise funds and deal with the emotional pain surrounding the two deaths.
The financial impact has also been severe. The family’s small shop business, which they depended on for survival, has reportedly collapsed because most of their money went into the legal payments.
Shelves that once had stock are now empty, leaving the family without a stable source of income.
Wamukota is said to have admitted receiving the money but has allegedly failed to refund it, offering explanations instead. Complaints filed with the Advocates Complaints Commission and the Law Society of Kenya have reportedly not moved fast enough, frustrating the family further.
The Consumers Federation of Kenya (COFEK) has now stepped in and says it will pursue justice through legal and disciplinary action.
COFEK lawyers have since taken over the fatal accident case in Kerugoya as the family hopes for accountability and closure after months of pain and loss.
