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Kenyans have lost an estimated Sh10 billion to fraudulent investment schemes, with small-scale traders forming the bulk of victims.

The losses, documented over two decades, reveal a costly habit among entrepreneurs who repeatedly put money in ventures they do not understand, abandoning the businesses that sustain them.

Between 2004 and 2007, more than 150,000 Kenyans lost over Sh8 billion in pyramid schemes. A government task force later established that 271 such schemes operated in the country at one point.

A consumer protection survey shows that over 12 million Kenyans have been affected by the fraud.

The survey found that about 82 per cent of those who invested in dubious high-return schemes lost their money, a figure that cuts across income levels and education.

The real estate sector has not been spared from the fraudulent investments. Several property companies collapsed after diverting client funds to unintended expenditure. Simple Homes Developers Consortium alone left behind over Sh500 million in investor losses, exposing how deeply financial mismanagement has eaten into the industry.

Real estate expert Hezekiah Kariuki says the pattern is predictable and the losses avoidable.

“It is safe to expand the business you already have an understanding of than to rush for investments you have no idea of the risks involved,” said Kariuki at an investment forum in Ruiru.

Kariuki, who serves as Director of Comfort Homes and Together As One Microfinance, told traders that borrowed money had no business funding unfamiliar ventures.

“In these hard economic times, a business must work on cutting costs to survive. Many real estate companies diverted funds to unintended purposes,” said Kariuki.

He noted that due diligence remained the only reliable protection against losses, adding that traders who understood their sectors were far less likely to fall victim to schemes promising outsized returns.

However, experts note the problem runs deeper than individual choices. Kenya lacks a strong consumer protection framework, leaving traders with little recourse once money changes hands and schemes unravel.