“Wamenimaliza” Sad News as Mpesa Non-Reversal Kills 2 Kenyan Daughters in a Week
Wakenya nisaidieni, John Kirongoci says “I have never imagined that a single M-Pesa message could change my life forever. As I speak today, my house is quiet, my heart is crushed, and I live with a regret I cannot escape.
It happened in three weeks time, and the memory is still fresh and painful.
I was seated at home, worried and financially strained, when my phone beeped. I checked and saw an M-Pesa message showing that I had received Ksh 83,250 from a name I did not recognize — Nadia Wekesa. I stared at the screen in disbelief. My two daughters had been sent home because of unpaid school fees, and I had no clear plan. In that moment I whispered to myself, “Maybe this is a blessing in disguise.”
Without thinking twice, I switched off my phone and rushed to an M-Pesa shop. I withdrew the money immediately. I paid Ksh 32,000 in school fees, cleared a loan with a shylock, and bought food and household supplies. I kept telling myself, “I will figure it out later.”
After about three hours, I switched my phone back on. Messages started coming in from an unknown number.
“Kindly refund the Ksh 83,250 sent by mistake. It was meant to pay a hospital bill for my ailing mum at Kenyatta National Hospital. Please.”
My hands shook as I read it. But the money was already spent. Fear and shame took over. I switched off the phone again.
