With money one is like a magnet of attraction. In the streets of Muraga Town, Tom Ikoya a 60-year old tells a tale of how he lost Sh.700,000 to a woman within a week.

Tom had just disposed of an asset worth sh700,000 and in the spirit of celebrating, he decided to treat and have fun by going to a bar in Muraga Town.

” I want my story to be a lesson to others… on what not to do when you come to cash,” he told Nation Africa.

The Story

In his celebration moment, he did not know that he would lose all his money that week

He explained that he showed up in the town on the afternoon of November 10 but by November 17, he was homeless and cashless.

Ikonya’s intention was to relax for a day or two and then be in his merry way in search of other business shops to start a boiled-meat business.

Additionally, he says he once worked as a plant operator in a plantation near the town before he was transferred to Kajiado County.

Mr. Ikonya is not from a poor family, he owns some assets and during his retirement , he decided to sell one of them , to welcome himself to the world of senior citizens.

Once he was in town , he proceeded to a bar located along Police Road.

“For those who know Muraga Town well, it is a rule that if your not street wise, you make merry near a police station in case you find yourself staring at machetes in the hands of deranged teen criminals,” he said.

Since he was a proclaimed coward, he entered the nearest bar 100 meters from the police station

“I am popular around here, it was not long before I had company on my tables firstly men and then some women. With cash , my generosity goes up and within an hour my table was a mini party,” he narrates.

He recalls taking about 8 beers and having a bill of Sh. 6,320

The Woman

Tom revealed , there was this woman who remained stuck on his side, he did not know her but she kept reminding him to be careful that being rich and drunk is risky. Due to her been concerned about him , he trusted her not knowing that his life would change meeting her.

At around 10:45pm, the bar was almost closing up and with that he decided to take a room at one of the lodges . But the woman opposed the idea and told him that her place was spacious and she wouldn’t mind hosting him.

He adds that thinking while under the influence of alcohol is mission impossible.

“That is how I ended up not remembering that trusting too much was suicidal and when the deal got too good I think twice. All those pieces of wisdom were fairytales in my mind,” he said.

He remembers there was a friend that he had bought beer for who told him to stay clear of the woman.

Two kisses is what changed all, he said,  he was kissed on the lips and he forgot the warning and was following her outside the bar and boarded a motorcycle within 10 mins he was in her house watching tv.

He wouldn’t reveal much about the life inside the house ” but it is safe to tell you I bathed, ate and slept like a king.”

Change

He says God created the universe in six days and rested on the seventh day. The very time it took him to use his 700,000 and become poor.

Tom had a routine while staying at the house, waking up, praying , taking breakfast, bathing, conversing and venturing into the bars and retiring back to the house at night.

The woman had listened to his boiled -meat business plan and immediately drew him a budget that totaled 250,000. As security for slow growth, he was advised to withdraw Sh.350,000

He went to the bank and withdrew the amount and handed it to her . In 3 days his amount was slightly over Sh.260,000.

On the fourth day , the woman announced she had paid for the business and was looking for workers.

“She told me there were licenses to be paid for and I had to part with 100,000. She also told me to loan her Sh.50,000 for an emergency . I  honored those demands so far so good , I thought,” he says.

On the fifth day, he decided to make several withdrawals because he felt several trips to the bank was tedious.

The Deceit

On the sixth day, its when everything changed . At around 4pm during their time at the bar. The woman announced that she was leaving for an emergency and she would be back after an hour.

She handed him his ATM card , and he did not suspect anything . He saw a parcel she had left behind and it contained his clothes but he did not mind he continued to order more beer.

By 10pm, the woman had not returned and her phone was switched off.

He was in crisis ,he had a bill of Sh.3,100, he had no cash in his pocket and the rest of the money was with the lady.

“I now had to take charge of my situation. a crisis sometimes sober people up… I felt sober as a nagging discomfort hit my stomach and at a distance , I could feel  headache building . Things were certainly going wrong,” he says.

His bad luck was just beginning, as he went to withdraw money only to find his account was dry. He only had sh8.78 as the available balance.

He went  to search for the woman, only to find her door closed and when he called , she announced she was with her husband who was home from Somalia.

Played

He says he had heard of stories of men who became poor in such a way.

“I immediately knew I had become yet another boy child who got played…not by force but by a peaceful way. I knew the moment of reckoning was here with me,” he adds.

He called his elder brother and explained his situation and his brother helped him out.

The following day, his day kept getting worse , he was mugged in broad daylight as he was leaving the bar where he had gone to” kutoa lock.”

He went to report his lost I.D at Maragua Station.

He now says he will soon get more money because he had organized himself well during his productive days.

“But this time round, I am going to do three things; get born again, cease my love for alcohol and keep away from adventures ,” he vowed , adding that he is not remorseful and harbors no vengeance.