Once a respected treasurer of a chama group, Dorothy Katulu has found herself serving a three-year prison sentence after losing chama money.
The 27-year-old, who is currently seven months pregnant, has already spent a month behind bars and expects to be released in 2026.
Before her conviction, Katulu worked at a printing shop for three years. The shop was located in a building known as Ndaragwa, where she and other employees, alongside business owners, decided to form a chama.
Due to her diligence and trustworthiness, she was chosen to manage the group’s finances.
“I served well in the first two years and distributed money according to what we had agreed,” she recalls.
But in December 2024, when it was time to distribute the members’ contributions, an unexpected decision changed everything.
The chama had accumulated a substantial amount of money, and in preparation for the end-of-year distribution, three members withdrew Ksh2.1 million from the bank and handed it to Katulu.
“We were supposed to share our contributions in December 2024. Three members went to the bank and withdrew Ksh2.1 million, which they brought to me for distribution,” she says.
As part of the process, Ksh200,000 was transferred to her mobile phone to serve as ‘loose change’ for smoother transactions.
She successfully disbursed Ksh1.9 million to members but never got the chance to distribute the remaining amount.
A friend, aware of the funds in her phone, introduced her to a mobile gambling game called Aviator.
“My friend told me that there’s a game played on mobile phone known as Aviator which was easy to play and win,” she says.
The friend claimed to have won money through the game, betting Ksh50,000 and doubling the amount. Encouraged by this, Katulu saw an opportunity to make extra money.
“I figured that since I had Ksh200,000 in my phone, I could try my luck,” she admits.
However, what started as an attempt to make a quick profit soon turned into a nightmare.
Katulu began placing small bets, hoping to win, but the losses kept piling up.
“I would place bets in small installments, and I kept losing until all the money was gone,” she says.
Realizing she had lost the entire Ksh200,000 meant for four members of the chama, she found herself in deep trouble.
The affected members—Patrick, Tinamoli, Catherine, and Gachanja—demanded their money, but she had nothing left to give.
Furious over the missing funds, they reported the matter to the police.
Katulu was arrested, taken to court, and sentenced to either pay a Ksh300,000 fine or serve a three-year prison term.
“The four members called the police. I was arrested and taken to court, from where I was sentenced to serve three years in jail or pay a penalty of Ksh300,000,” she explains.
Now behind bars, she expresses deep regret for her actions.
“I am sorry to the four members, Patrick, Tinamoli, Catherine, and Gachanja. I am really apologetic and I am asking for your forgiveness. I am pregnant and suffering in prison and I seek your mercy and forgiveness,” she pleads.
During the court proceedings, she had hoped her father could sell family land to settle the debt.
However, that plan collapsed when she discovered the land had already been subdivided and was no longer available for sale.
