James Wanjohi, a businessman and self-identified city pastor, has vehemently denied allegations of defrauding 4,000 Kenyans out of Ksh.600 million by promising them visas to travel abroad.
Following a police raid on the offices of Worthstart Africa in Pension Towers on April 24, where victims reported being conned by the company’s director, Wanjohi, he took to social media to refute the accusations. In a video he shared online, Wanjohi claimed that he is a victim of a political witchhunt orchestrated by his enemies, particularly those with whom he had clashed during his candidacy for the Roysambu parliamentary seat in the 2022 General Election.
“I know this is a political witchhunt and business rivalry, and I know I have rattled some businessmen and women who feel that they should cut my legs as of now so that I stop progressing,” he stated.
He clarified that he is no longer a preacher at the Jesus Culture Ministry, having branched out to start his company, which has been operational for barely a year. He emphasized that processing visas for 4,000 clients in such a short period is impractical and accused his rivals of tarnishing his company’s reputation.
“I did not process 4,000 clients, which is barely a year. We will be celebrating our one-year anniversary next month, May 17th, as a company,” he asserted.
Wanjohi explained that Worthstart Company is solely involved in visa facilitation, and the decision to approve an application lies with the embassy. He claimed to have proof of individuals who acquired their visas through his company and have already traveled to the United States and Canada.
“When my clients are denied visas, I do a second application for free. I want to ask, if you have a case in court and you fail, does it mean you will not pay the lawyer? If you go to the hospital and you don’t get well, does it mean you will not pay the doctor?” he questioned.
Wanjohi stated that he had not been made aware of the allegations since he was out of the country, only learning about them upon his return. He pledged to present himself to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to assist in investigations and clear his name.
“I had traveled out of Nairobi and I was using a national foreign sim card. Switching on my Kenyan sim card, I see messages flooding my phone that DCI is looking for me,” he revealed.
During the April 24 raid at his offices, victims reported that after making payments, they were promised jobs and travel opportunities, but the agency ignored their calls and inquiries.
