November 2, 2024
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What is your experience with con artists? I have been conned before, but not as it stupidly happened yesterday as I travelled from the city to shagz! After a busy in the country’s capital, and a boring silent life in my humble aboard, I decided to take my boredom to the rural settings. It took a few minutes to get to town because the roads had no jam. Unlike the other days, I was surprised to find many people waiting to travel to shagz. It never occurred to me that one day, the Nairobi-Litein-Kericho route would experience such a rush. So as we waited for a matatu, our woes brought two strangers together; me and a lady named Mercy. I came to know her name after sending her some 200 shillings, which she supposedly was to send to me after 30 minutes.

The Engagement

As soon as we boarded the matatu, we started the normal engagement on how the day had been so stressful. Surprisingly, the lady started talking about her personal life, and how she was in an abusive marriage. She claimed that her husband even threatened to kill her, and that is when she opted out of the abusive relationship. She has one child, a seven-year-old girl who is under the care of her mother in the village as she fends for her in the city. The lady said that she works for platinum credit, Ruiru (Kamakis) branch but stays in Dohnholm estate. As she narrated her life story, I thought to myself, that something was a miss, but it did not cross my mind that she could be a con woman.It later hit me that she said all these to build trust.

We were seated at the seat just behind the driver’s seat, and the lady was sandwiched between two men. I sat just behind the driver. The guy seated on the extreme left (on the door) had some liquor, I think it was a red label. As he enjoyed his drink, the lady suddenly joined in, and they became “close friends.” I became curious and asked her, “Kwani unakunywa tei bila chaser?” and she was like, “Zii, akona energy drink” (she said with a Kalenjin accent). Arsenal had a game and was streaming live so I did not want any distraction as I focussed on the game. After the game, the lady was a little tipsy and she continued with her narration. She told me how rich her husband was/is, and how rich the mother is.

The Con Moment

When we reached Kaplong junction, the lady called someone and asked that she should talk to her daughter. They did, then immediately asked me to send her some 200 bob, because her mother needed the cash. I obliged, though, at the back of my mind, I knew I had been conned. She was supposed to refund the money after 30 minutes, “akifika kwa WiFi,” LMAO. I guess I just had to pay 1600 for a distance that usually costs 1200. It is just 200, but it is worth sharing. Do not be conned! Kaa rada!

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