Carpenter in court for obtaining Sh78,000 by false pretence

A city carpenter has been charged with obtaining money by false pretenses after it was reported he had failed to make furniture he received Sh78,000 for. Walter Ouma is accused of obtaining the money from Mary Ongayo Achieng on diverse dates between February 15 and March 15 this year at his workshop in Riruta, Dagoretti, in Nairobi. It is said he obtained the money falsely pretending he was in a position to make a six-seater dining table and a double-decker bed but did not. Achieng had identified the items he wanted and an agreement was made between her and Ouma. He was to make the items for Sh100,000 and she paid an initial deposit of Sh48,000. Ouma later called her and asked for an additional Sh30,000 which she paid. She would visit the workshop a few days later only to find Ouma was yet to start working on the items and was thus forced to report the matter to Police. Ouma denied the charges before senior principal magistrate Renee Kitangwa of Kibera law courts. He was freed on a Sh100,000 bond and an alternative cash bail of Sh30,000. The case will be mentioned on May 17 for the setting of hearing dates.