Somalia-Linked Faras Caught Up in Sh13 Million Marketing Fraud Scandal

Nairobi, Kenya – Faras Cabs Kenya Ltd, a local arm of a ride-hailing company tied to a major Somalia-based telecom giant, has been dragged into a Sh13 million legal storm over allegations of manipulating a cab driver’s video footage for deceptive marketing.

In a petition filed at the High Court, Daniel Manga, a prominent driver and chairperson of the Ridehail Association, claims Faras secretly recorded and maliciously edited a town hall meeting video to falsely present him as endorsing the company’s ride-hailing app.

The video was later broadcast across major social media platforms including Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter), without his consent.

Manga is seeking Sh10 million in damages for violation of his fundamental rights and an additional Sh3 million for alleged profits earned by the company through unauthorized use of his image and voice.

“The company misused my image and voice in a 55-second video to create the impression that I was praising their app,” Manga said in court documents, adding that the heavily edited clip distorted his balanced critique into what appeared to be a glowing endorsement.

The company, which sources indicate is owned by directors with ties to a leading Somali telecom conglomerate, allegedly invited Manga and other drivers to a March 13 feedback session under the guise of open dialogue—only to covertly record and commercialize the footage.

According to Manga’s lawyer, Mercy Mutemi, this move amounted to a “shocking breach of trust,” especially given the driver’s influential role in the cab-hailing industry.

The fallout has been swift.

Within driver communities, particularly on WhatsApp groups, Manga has been branded a sellout, further compounding the personal and reputational damage he claims to have suffered.

The High Court has ordered Faras to preserve all metrics and data related to the video posts, including audience impressions and geographical breakdowns, particularly those targeting Kenyan users.

Faras, in its defense, has questioned the High Court’s jurisdiction, arguing that such matters fall under the mandate of the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC).

The company cited Section 56 of the Data Protection Act, which requires aggrieved parties to file complaints with the ODPC before seeking court intervention.

Justice Lawrence Mugambi is set to rule on the jurisdictional challenge on July 28.

As the legal drama unfolds, the case shines a spotlight not just on potential data privacy breaches but also on growing scrutiny of foreign-linked tech firms operating in Kenya’s lucrative mobility market.