How American Conned Kenya Sh22 Million

A US citizen arrived in Nairobi and convinced the gullible sports ministry officials that his firm, Berg and Associates, could help collect over Sh224 million to market the All-African Games which Kenya was to host in 1987.

Then Minister of Sports and Culture Henry Kosgey was the man who got duped by Dick Berg of Sh22 million.

A confident Berg convinced government officials that he could deliver the money although there was no proof of his previous work and no one bothered to check his record.

Berg claimed that he had marketed World Cup tournaments in South America and Europe and even the Olympics but since no one dared to check if he owned a financial company, his word was binding.

[caption caption="Kenyan players during the All Africa Games"][/caption]

The government went ahead and awarded the fraudster exclusive business rights to market the games and brought on board Coca-Cola and House of Manji among other companies.

Dick Berg is alleged to have rented an entire floor at one of the five-star hotels in the city, with the taxpayer footing the bill.

His con game went unnoticed as he promised to fly in one of the Jackson 5 brothers to perform at the games.

The government paid him Sh22 million as a commitment fee and expected him to market the games internationally.

However, Berg gave the ministry only Sh5 million before he hurriedly took off without submitting the final accounts which he had promised to be Sh224 million.

[caption caption="Former Minister Henry Kosgey"][/caption]

Later on, he claimed that his life was in danger but he never came back to explain what happened to the money and that was the last time Kenyans heard from him.