OSHAKATI – A 41-year-old woman claims to have been scammed by her best friend to get married to a Kenyan foreigner without her consent. The alleged marriage was contracted on 11 November 2005.
Speaking to New Era, Rosalia Johannes narrated that she’s definitely not happy because this ‘marriage’ has now blocked her from getting hitched to another man.
Johannes said she ‘got married’ without her knowledge, adding that she was 22 years old and didn’t know how to read English at the time. “My friend scammed me. She convinced me to accept Kamau, and later told me to get married to him so that he gets Namibian citizenship,” she narrated.
“After immediately accepting Kamau, we went to the Oshakati Magistrate’s Court to get married, though I wasn’t aware of what was happening. My friend told me to sign the marriage certificate, which I didn’t understand.”
Johannes alleged that her friend was paid by Kamau to arrange a Namibian woman for him.
She has since found another man who wants to get married to her.
“We went to court to register our marriage with my current ‘husband’, but I was told I was married already some 17 years ago when the people checked in the computer system,” she lamented.
Johannes opened a case at the Oshakati police station last year to seek assistance in tracing the Kenyan man.
According to the police, the man was identified as Jeremiah Mbugua Kamau, born in Kenya on 10 November 1978. He was then employed at the Nando’s franchise at Oshakati.
Police said attempts to trace him in Namibia have so far been unsuccessful.
Her friend, who allegedly scammed her, was arrested but immediately released because there was no evidence.
This friend, however, told New Era that Johannes is not telling the whole truth.
“I was the big bridesmaid when they got married. Kamau was my best friend when he came to me, saying that he wanted to get married to a Namibian woman,” said the friend, who declined to provide her name.
“I took Kamau to Johannes’ shack so that they could see each other. When they met, Johannes agreed, and they later went to the Oshakati magistrate’s court to register their marriage” she stated.
“After they got married, Kamau ran away and left Johannes because his intention was only to get citizenship in Namibia,” she explained.
This made Johannes angry at her, said the friend, adding that she is now also being accused of scamming her as the husband left her.
“Last year, Johannes opened a case, and got me arrested. Later, the magistrate told me to go home because I did nothing, this after the police had conducted their investigations,” she continued.
Anyone who knows where Kamau could be is urged to contact the investigating officer, Detective Constable Stefanus at the Oshakati Criminal Investigations Unit (081 3299299), or any nearest police station. – fhamalwa@nepc.com.na
Photo: Scammed
Caption: False union…An Oshakati woman says she was scammed by her best friend in 2005 to marry a foreigner seeking Namibian citizenship. Photo: Contributed