TOWN’S TALK
Charles Mwenda (not his real name), a carpenter who makes sofasets, received a call from a female client who presumably wanted her house in Isiolo town renovated.
His workshop being about 10 kilometres away from the busy town, the businessman fixed a date when he would visit and assess the house that “needed doors and windows fixed”.
He was to after meeting the client purchase some materials for making some sofa sets that some customers had ordered days earlier.
Unaware, on the fateful day, he would be swindled thousands of shillings by the same woman he thought was a client.
On arrival at the town, he called the woman who showed up minutes later but revealed that the house belonged to her mother and therefore had to wait for her to bring the keys so that they could proceed.
About 10 minutes later, an elderly woman, who would later be discovered to be an accomplice, came and even shook hands with the man.
The fraudsters drugged him and stole Sh30, 000 leaving him stranded in the busy town.
All this happened in broad daylight as people went on with their activities.
The carpenter had to borrow money to buy the materials causing him untold suffering.
Fast forward, days later, while buying materials at one of the outlets in the town, he spotted the younger woman and engaged her in a chase.
After getting wound of her, he descended on her with blows and kicks as charged public aware of the incident joined in roughing up the con.
But that was not long before one of the adminstrators rescued them and rushed them to a police station on the outskirts of Isiolo town.
It’s at the station that the woman admitted to being a con and allegedly helped police arrest the other woman.
Paraphernalia, that they were using to drug unsuspecting persons, was recovered from their bags.
Unconfirmed reports indicate that the two suspects were later handed over to police officers on Meru side where the carpenter hails from.
Many similar cases have been happened in the town though majority of them are never reported.
