Wendy Waeni’s ex-manager Joe Mwangi arrested

Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have arrested Joe Mwangi, the embattled former manager of child star Wendy Waeni.

According to the DCI, Mwangi was arrested on Monday and is set to be presented in court “once necessary police process is complete.”

“Mr Joseph Mwangi Nduta alias Joe is in our custody. He will be charged appropriately once necessary police process is complete. We thank everyone that shared information on his whereabouts,” said the DCI in a tweet.

Director of Criminal Investigations George Kinoti on Friday issued a warrant of arrest for Mwangi in connection with forgery and issuing threats to the Wendy’s mother Magdalene Mbele.

“Mr Joseph Mwangi NDUTA alias Joe…is #Wanted by @DCI_Kenya Detectives in connection with the Forgery of a Letter purporting to be from a Cabinet Secretary threatening the complainant- Magdalene Mbele of some consequences,” tweeted the DCI.

Mr Joseph Mwangi NDUTA alias Joe whose photos appear below is #Wanted by @DCI_Kenya Detectives in connection with the Forgery of a Letter purporting to be from a Cabinet Secretary threatening the complainant- Magdalene Mbele of some consequences. To report at #DCI Nairobi Area. pic.twitter.com/BvcTWV2Wt0

— DCI KENYA (@DCI_Kenya) August 30, 2019

Wendy is a Kenyan contortionist who has performed for audiences around the world including Presidents Uhuru Kenyatta and Paul Kagame.

During a past interview on Citizen TV’s Jeff Joinange Live (JKL), Wendy shocked the nation when she revealed that she has not received a single penny from her performances across the globe for the last five years.

“I’ve been performing all over the world, and right now I live in Huruma because of Joe Mwangi. I’ve performed in Rwanda, Germany, and China…and I’ve not got even a single penny. My mum is really suffering right now, she sells sweets, I live in Huruma in a single-room with her,” she said.

“People are telling me that I’m rude, that I’m a brat, that I post things on Instagram…which I don’t really know. I don’t have access to my social media accounts, it’s Joe Mwangi who controls them.”

Mr. Mwangi however went on a Twitter rant alleging that Wendy was coached by three individuals on what to say during the interview.

During a subsequent interview on Ebru TV, he further accused the child star’s mother Ms. Mbele of wasting away all the money given to her on alcohol.

Ms. Mbele however rubbished the allegations, adding that she does not even drink alcohol because she is “a staunch Christian.”

“I’m a staunch Christian, I have never had alcohol in my life, my daughter can attest to that. Joe Mwangi is a liar and a fraud that is why it was best fit that he no longer manages my daughter,” she said.

She further accused Mr. Mwangi of only giving her a little share of the money from the large sums he was usually given by various politicians as well as media personalities to aid in developing and promoting her daughter.

“He received money from politicians in the name of my daughter; he got Ksh.140,000 from Raila Odinga and only gave me Ksh.30,000,” she added.

“In another instance, he got Ksh.100,000 from Kalonzo Musyoka and TV presenter Jeff Koinange each and I only received Ksh.20,000 and Ksh.4,000 respectively.”

Ms. Mbele also alleged that Mr. Mwangi demanded an unnecessarily large share of money from an amount Rwandan President Paul Kagame gave her on behalf of her daughter in 2016.

“During our trip to Rwanda, President Paul Kagame gave me Ksh.500,000 to support Wendy’s talent, I shared the money with Joe by giving him Ksh.200,000 but he still demanded for more,” she said.

“Joe only accompanied Wendy to Rwanda, I could not allow him to accompany my daughter to her performances outside the country since I had noticed peculiar behaviors from him.”

According to her, the former manager also confiscated and denied Wendy access to her phone and only returned it after the 14-year-old’s revelation on JKL.

“Joe confiscated my daughter’s phone on claims that she was visiting unauthorized sites; he declined to return the phone to me until recently after the interview (on JKL). I felt offended considering I was the one who had bought the mobile phone,” she said.