How scammer exploited Catherine Kasavuli & son Martin’s fame [screenshots]

The passing of celebrated news anchor Catherine Kasavuli not only marked a sombre moment for the nation but also brought her son, Martin Kasavuli, into the limelight. 

Until then, Martin had largely been a private individual, but his mother’s passing turned him into an inadvertent public figure – and with that came its own set of challenges, including battling social media impersonators who exploited his family’s grief.

Speaking exclusively to this writer, Martin recounted his harrowing experience dealing with imposters.

This problem started while his mother had joined the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation KBC, for the ‘Legends Show’, which brought veteran news anchors back on the air.

In 2021, my mum had just joined KBC, and it emerged there was an account purporting to be her, the suspect was more active than she was.

The impersonator used the account to post personal details about the late Kasavuli, even going as far as sharing pictures before she could.

Photo: The late Catherine Kasavuli

READ: Catherine Kasavuli's biography - Early life, career, family, awards

According to Martin, the imposter gained credibility by mimicking his mother’s activities.

The impersonator’s actions quickly spiralled out of control, as the fake account interacted with unsuspecting friends and even requested money under the late Kasavuli's name.

“One day, mum got a call from a friend saying they had chatted online and even sent her money. The suspect was posting pictures before she even did,” he recounted.

READ: Radio boss forced to take back comments during Kasavuli's burial

The  43-year-old explained how the situation worsened when his mother’s health deteriorated.

Her colleagues at KBC organised a blood drive which quickly spread in the media fraternity to KTN, Citizen and NTV. Once the fraudster saw this public interest ‘they’ captitalised to defraud more people. The account had previously been reported and more people reported it at this stage but Meta/IG did not respond.

When the fraud turned personal

The situation worsened after Catherine’s passing, with the imposter shifting focus to Martin.

The misinformation shared online led to some people questioning his character, with Martin describing the experience as very hurtful.

After the funeral, this person started sharing false information about me, claiming I was stuck in the village and the caterers hadn’t been paid. It was very hurtful because it painted me as a person who was looking to benefit from her death personally.

Photo: A collage of screenshots from the fake account who posed as Martin Kasavuli

READ: KBC unveils veteran journalist to replace Catherine Kasavuli

The fake account even used pictures of sick children and adults who were bedridden, which added a new layer of urgency to the matter.

He even used some of the images to claim my relatives were sick and dying. In hospital beds. Some of my family members even believed that the child was my daughter. This was very distressing and completely illegal.

Seeking legal action

Determined to stop the imposter, Martin took the matter to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).

I reported it to the DCI, and they advised me not to go public about it. I wanted the person to face the law, especially after discovering they had done this to so many other people and gotten away with it.

However, the road to justice has not been easy. Martin described the frustrations of navigating the legal system, where victims often face delays and logistical challenges. 

One of the frustrations of such cases is that it becomes exhausting when victims have to attend court dates that keep getting postponed. These people rely on victims running out of steam.

Martin’s story is not unique. He is one of many public figures whose names and images have been misused by online fraudsters to scam the public.

In Martin’s case, the accused, Wilkins Fadhili, pleaded not guilty and was granted a cash bail of Sh30,000 with two contact persons. The matter will be mentioned in court on January 17, 2025.

A prominent victim of the scam who was helping with the investigations and signed a complaint to the DCI is the late Njambi Kokai- and had been conned by the fraudster and signed a statement with the DCI despite her frail health.