- A Kenyan man, Allan Kanyi, was promised a fully funded scholarship to study in China but discovered too late that the agency behind the offer was a scam
- After months of communication with the rogue agent, Kanyi travelled to China and even started his classes for a month before reality set in
- Speaking to TUKO.co.ke, he shared his story of being stuck in China and how he is currently surviving on a thin thread, hoping to return home
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A young Kenyan man has shared his devastating story of being scammed in the name of seeking greener pastures and higher learning.
Source: UGC
Allan Kanyi told TUKO.co.ke that, like many other Kenyan youths, he took a chance to better his life, especially given the flooded job market in the country.
In May 2025, he came across an agency located at View Park Towers in Nairobi CBD. Upon making inquiries, he discovered they were connecting Kenyan students to universities in China with the promise of fully funded scholarships.
The agency promised fully paid tuition, medical insurance cover, accommodation, and a monthly stipend of 3000 RMB (KSh54,000).
How much did Allan Kanyi pay rogue Kenyan agent?
To Kanyi, the offer seemed too good to pass up.
“I decided to jump on the offer and try my luck in the East; the agency commission was to be paid only after I had my visa and admission letter in hand. The total cost was KSh600,000 (KSh400k for the agency fee, KSh200k for the university application fees and flight). We kick-started the process and applied to three universities just to cast a wide net,” he shared.
Kanyi explained that the agent also suggested he take a six-month preparatory Chinese language course, as it was a requirement for most universities.
The young man was excited to go and study for his master’s abroad starting in May 2026, hoping for a better life thereafter.
In July 2025, he received an admission letter to Nantong University in South China and immediately paid the agent KSh400,000 as agreed.
At this point, the only thing left was the visa application process, but the agent asked him to wait a little longer, claiming she had found a university with a “better offer” and was waiting for the documents for the visa application.
“She went silent, was not at the office, didn’t pick calls and was rarely online. So, I missed the September intake at Nantong University. Then, in early October, she resurfaced with an admission and JW form from Yangtze University, with an extension from the university since the admission was for September,” he shared.
When confronted about her unceremonious disappearance, the agent explained that the International Canton Fair had affected admissions and visa applications as a large number of people were attending.
Nonetheless, a few weeks later, Kanyi was set to travel to China, and his agent even showed up with family to bid him goodbye. She also promised that her partners from China would pick him up at Shashi International Airport upon arrival, but this never happened.
“I struggled with the journey, and the language barrier was a huge problem. After receiving some help from airport officers, I took a cab from Shashi Airport to Yangtze University’s entrance, arriving at 8 pm. I used the cab driver’s phone to contact her since my phone had gone off, and she sent a Nigerian man called Charles, who I later discovered was working with her. Charles was in charge of international students’ accommodation,” he said.
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Charles took Kanyi to some abandoned dormitories, as he had reported late for the semester. This place, which Kanyi still calls home, lacked basic facilities.
After a week of trying to settle in, Charles took Kanyi to the International Students Office (ISO) and introduced him to another man, James Mwiya, who was allegedly a staff member at the institution.
Kanyi later learned that James was the agent’s liaison to the university and was responsible for sending doctored documents with official university stamps.
Source: UGC
How did Allan Kanyi learn he was scammed?
Through James, Kanyi was registered and allocated classes. However, in late December, after a month of learning, Kanyi was shocked to find his name on the list of students with fee arrears.
He visited the office to inquire why a scholarship recipient would have fee arrears, only to find out that he was not under any scholarship.
“I proceeded to ask about the master’s scholarship that was supposed to start in March, but James said no scholarship would be given to me unless I passed the Chinese Proficiency Test Level 4 (HSK4). That complicated matters further. He told me to deal with my agent, who by then had gone offline and disappeared, not responding to my texts or calls. She did the same to my parents back home,” he explained.
With no other option, Kanyi called home, but his family had not raised enough money for his return ticket. They reported the matter to the DCI Nairobi Division in Milimani, but they are yet to get justice or a refund.
Devastated and isolated in a foreign land, Kanyi stopped attending classes and shifted his focus to content creation, hoping to return home before his visa expired.
His goal is to raise awareness about rogue agencies and nonexistent scholarships and jobs.
“Mark you, in all this fiasco, upkeep and food have become a challenge, alongside the fear of being kicked out of the dormitory. I live on one meal a day since the money I receive from my younger brother is not enough,” he shared.
Despite his difficult situation, Kanyi urged all Kenyans to remain vigilant and cautious as the Chinese Scholarship application process for the September intake is set to begin in March.
Why did job seekers storm a Nairobi travel agency?
In other news, TUKO.co.ke reported that Trustpin Travel Agency’s director, Mary Kamunge, alias Rish, was forced to explain to irate job seekers why she had taken money from them.
The job seekers stormed her office in Nairobi CBD and demanded their money back, while she sat there looking stressed.
Armed with documents, the hopeful job seekers had paid between KSh 200,000 and KSh 400,000 to be taken to Mauritius for jobs.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
