Poor Central Kenya residents are perhaps the worst victims of the multi-billion economic scandals that Kenya has witnessed since it attained independence in 1963.
Unfortunately, most of the scandals that these residents seeking to break from the shackles of poverty have fallen victim to, were hatched, designed and implemented by one of their own.
You can call it self-cannibalisation or a case of a greedy dog that feeds on her newly born helpless puppies one after another.
From pyramid schemes, useless farming projects to irresistible saving plans through microfinance institutions and Saccos, none has come and left without leaving these residents with endless tears welling from their eyes.
A case in point is the recent Gakuyo scandal in which David Ngari, a bishop from Thika, is accused of stealing Sh1.5 billion from Ekeza Sacco members.
While one may be quick to reprimand these people for their apparent naivety and gullibility, it is good to note that these scandals do not just happen to them.
The perpetrators before deciding to effect their con schemes, will most of the times have done enough homework to ensure that once they introduce their schemes to the masses, there will be no missing links.
So, how do these confidence tricksters execute their games and end up harvesting big? We enumerate some of the commonly used tricks below?
1. Intensive campaigns on mainstream Kikuyu media
If you want to sell your product to many Central Kenya residents, then go for the mainstream Kikuyu media platforms.
They are widely trusted and whatever they air is widely taken as the gospel truth. Cons from all walks of life know better and can affirm this.
2. Pyramid scheme strategy
In a nutshell, this is where the first people to respond positively to the con scheme actually benefit as it is being promised. Those who join the scheme after they are motivated by the gains made by the initial group end up with a story to tell.
3. Promise of profitable investment opportunities
This commonly comes with new microfinance institutions and Saccos where those who agree to join them are promised big things like land, vehicles or houses after making little savings.
As in the pyramid strategy, the first respondents will gain accordingly while those who join by day, weeks or months will unknowingly find the noose that will finally hang them to financial obscurity in the near future tightened for them.
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