It is three months since Mr Tom Ikonya, 60, got his ‘kiss of poverty’ from a female Murang’a bar attendant who conned him out of Sh700, 000.
Mr Ikonya had disposed of an asset before he travelled from Kajiado County to Maragua town in Murang’a County on November 10, 2022.
A week later, he was broke, homeless and frustrated.
He had lived and worked in Maragua between 1998 and 2017 as a plant operator in a nearby plantation before he was transferred to Kajiado County.
“I felt that it was good to return to Maragua to start a meat and soup business and to say hi to my long-time friends,” he said.
While at the bar in Maragua, Mr Ikonya bought drinks for fellow patrons before he got a female companion. By the time the bar closed down, he had become so close to the woman.
“The woman kissed me once on the lips…I followed her to a waiting boda boda which took us to her house,” he said.
By December 17, he had exhausted his Sh700,000 and even borrowed Sh10, 000 to settle his bills.
Today, Mr Ikonya’s experiences in Maragua are still fresh in his mind.
“There was no justification for me to go to Maragua town, I had no reason to trust anyone in that town,” Mr Ikonya told Nation.Africa on phone, adding that he sank into depression after losing his money.
“I started having nightmares, I would see women chasing me in my dreams,” he said.
Because of the nightmares, his relatives suggested that he should visit a mental hospital.
“I ran away from my brother’s home and rented a single room in Ruiru town, in Kiambu County after the Maragua incident. I had received my National Social Security Fund savings amounting to Sh50, 000,” he said.
Mr Ikonya said for the past 30 years, he had lived alone after separating from his wife.
“I have two grown-up children who are employed. I had not thought about remarrying but after I got the cash, I thought of getting a woman,” he said who suspects that the woman who stole his money might have spiked his drinks with drugs.
How Tom Ikonya, 60, lost Sh700,000 in one week. 23/11/12
Nation.Africa has established that police officers went after the woman after reading Mr Ikonya’s story. She, however, escaped.
“Before she fled, the woman stole the day’s sale from her employer,” revealed a detective attached to Maragua Police Station adding that Mr Ikonya had landed in a criminal den.
The owner of the bar and his two employees had in July 2022 been arrested by Maragua police for allegedly transferring Sh300, 000 from Mr Samuel Kamau’s mobile phone wallet to their accounts.
Mr Kamau had sold his property before going to the same bar to enjoy himself.
“I do not know how I gave out my PIN to the two waitresses who transferred all my money before borrowing Sh2, 000 from the Fuliza facility,” he told Nation.Africa.
The suspects were later arrested before their employer later signed an agreement with a lawyer on how they would pay the money.
Eight months later, Mr Kamau says he is yet to receive all his money.
Coincidentally, Mr Ikonya had consulted Mr Kamau about the meat and soup business in Maragua.
“I acted in good faith, I had no intention of stealing from Mr Ikonya who kept on saying he had lots of cash. I witnessed his generosity first-hand…For just recognising him, he would give out Sh500. He would sip your beer and if you did not complain, he would buy you more beers,” Mr Kamau said.
“I forgot about the business idea and got sucked into his drinking spree,” said Mr Kamau.
“I tried warning him against the overtures of that woman but he could hear none of it,” he said.
Read: The Great Disappointment
Ikonya’s elder brother Mr John Kibui told Nation.Africa that since the incident, his brother hardly trusts anyone. He does not show his relatives where he lives.
“Tell the world that I am alive and kicking…Tell women that I no longer have the desire to be kissed even though I have some little cash. I am no longer generous. I will never again let people drive me into poverty and self-pity,” he said.
“I ask men never to carry huge amounts of cash into bars, they should avoid the company of women and men who pretend to be nice,” he added.
His 2023 New Year resolution was to get born again, stop drinking alcohol and keep off adventure.
“I am trying very hard to get born again and receive Jesus Christ as my personal saviour. If I succeed in doing that, I will live long to see 2065,” he concluded disclosing that he lives in Eldoret with his relatives. BY DAILY NATION