Born in Nyeri County, Tom Ikonya and his family relocated to Kajiado County in 2007. He claimed that although he arrived in Maragua town on the afternoon of November 10, by November 17 he was stuck, homeless, and broke.
Tom Ikonya, 60, went to a bar in Maragua town to celebrate a successful sale after selling an asset for Ksh 700,000.He intended to unwind for a day or two before exploring the area in search of locations to launch a boiled-meat business.
He claims he was a plant operator who had previously worked in a plantation close to the town before being transferred by the same employer to Kajiado County.
“I’m not from a poor family, I hold some assets here and there and I decided to sell one of them to welcome myself into the realm of senior citizens and retirees.” Mr. Ikonya explains.
Tom Ikonya is well-liked in that area, so it didn’t take long for him to have company—first, males and then some females. With cash, his generosity increased, and an hour later, his table had turned into a little party, he continues.
Tom Ikonya recalls drinking roughly eight beers and paying Ksh 6,320 for the tab.
“There was this woman who remained stuck on my side … I had not known her but she kept reminding me to be careful … that being rich and drunk was risky. She appeared genuinely concerned and I trusted her,” Tom Ikonya narrates further.
The bar staff made an announcement that they were shutting at about 10.45 p.m. because their license required them to do so before midnight.
The pub also had lodges, so Mr. Ikonya made the decision to get a room. They are 300 Ksh each night. However, the woman who stayed by his side objected to the plan. She assured him that her home was roomy and that she would welcome him.
He claims that a friend for whom he had purchased beer tried to warn him about the woman.
He was overheard by the woman, who then kissed him on the lips, making him forget his warning. After another kiss, he followed her out of the bar, got on a motorcycle, and in about ten minutes, was sitting in her living room watching television. She was a loner.
Tom Ikonya’s daily routine included getting up, praying with the woman, taking a shower, eating breakfast, talking about various topics, travelling out to various bars, and returning home for the evening.
After hearing his concept to sell boiled-meat, the woman drew him an immediate budget for Ksh 250,000. He was instructed to withdraw Ksh 350,000 as cushion against slow growth.
On day four, the woman declared that she had paid for the business space and was looking for employees who were familiar with the operations of the company.
She also informed Mr. Ikonya that another Ksh 100,000 was needed to pay for licenses. She also asked him for a Ksh 50,000 emergency loan. He complied with their requests. Thus far, so good, he felt assured.
The woman informed him that she had to leave for an emergency on the sixth day at around 4 o’clock and would return in an hour.
She gave him his ATM card back. Nothing seemed odd to him. Additionally, he saw a package she had left behind that contained his clothes. He didn’t think much about it. Mr. Ikonya kept placing more beer orders.
The woman’s phone had been turned off by 10 o’clock and she still hadn’t arrived.
There was now a predicament since he had no cash in his pocket and a bill for Sh3,100 was staring him in the face. Everything in his pockets was gone.
After God and hot porridge; fear women! waaampoooto!
Source: Nation
