If you haven’t received one of those forwarded M-Pesa messages, then either you are one lucky chap or dead. For me, it was from those convicted felons in Kamiiti, seeking to make their dreary prison sentences a little interesting.
It was from a close friend whom I should have suspected from the beginning, based on his nickname – Fazul. But then being fresh from the village, I can say naivety played a key role in him duping me.
Having determined that I needed a new phone, one that could make me enjoy technological marvels from Silicon Valley, I hit Fazul up for advice – he was the guy who could get things.
Unbeknown to me, he was low on cash and would use some, regardless of the means. We met at Turkatero (whatever it is spelt) stage, just outside Naivas Supermarket. He showed me a phone, a Nokia (which was way swanky back then) and quoted his price.
I gave him the money I had, which was way less than what he quoted, but also gave him a techno phone as security to the balance. The balance was Sh1,000.
We parted ways with Fazul, I went back to my home happy as though I had discovered oil wells under my armpits. Back in the day, Nokia was the ‘it’ phone. It had everything I needed: internet, and mp3 music playing capability. I would also enjoy some games.
Hardly had I enjoyed the amazing phone than Fazul started calling for the balance. He would call up to ten times a day. I got fed up and told him to give me back my money and I give him his phone.
That’s when he set a perfect snare. He asked me to go to Kipkorgpt, a bustling business centre along Eldoret-Kaptagat road. I had gone to Eldoret sometimes back but he never showed up, because his conning tactics were not for that place.
I alighted and found him with a couple of guys. We went aside and discussed our business, which involved him fiddling with my phone.
After a while he walked to an M-Pesa shop, and came back shortly, saying that there was no float. The distance between that shop and the next one was like from 'here to Hong Kong'.
He told me he will send the money to my phone so that I can withdraw it later. He did send the money, I gave him the phone and I left.
I later learned he had saved his number as M-Pesa and forwarded a message to my phone. To make matters worse, he had transferred my airtime to his phone, which effectively meant he forwarded an M-Pesa message using my own money.
I was too embarrassed to ever follow back my money.
#hivisasaoriginal