Mkulima Moments: Another fraud scheme targeting farmers emerges

Kiambati, the tech guru of Digitika na Kilimo’s SMS platform, is still underground. Farmers are now on Wakageorge’s neck, whom they believe has been in touch with him.

They even suspect that he is one of the beneficiaries, but Wakageorge has insisted he is also unable to unsubscribe from the SMS service.

Mzee Jeremiah, however, believes the technology attests to a growing Mashambani economy.

“When an economy of a village outgrows the villagers, you expect such things,” Mzee Jeremiah said at Check Point Hotel during a debate last week, as he went on to list the digitisation of the cooperative and the Milk ATM as other testimonies of growth.

Mzee Kabecha and Mzee Jeremiah changed the discussion from Kiambati’s con game scheme to blaming the youth for the misuse of mobile phones particularly through social media and sports betting.

They proudly narrated how they invested while they were young and now they are enjoying life courtesy of their wise decisions.

“At your age, I was able to buy farms in Narok and Laikipia,” Mzee Jeremiah bragged while pointing at me. “You sit here waiting for sport betting to make you a millionaire.”

All this while, Muchiri was busy on phone betting. When discussion focused on him, he left in a huff. I followed him.
I was heading home when my attention was diverted to a new agrovet at the shopping centre.

I found the owner negotiating with Gacheru-Boy, a local sign writer, on the charges of branding the shop.

CONTINUOUS USAGE OF "PIGA DAWA"

“I usually charge per letter,” Gacheru-Boy said while trying to scribble some calculations on his hand using the edge of his painting brush.

The investor whom I later learnt is called Kioko from Matuu seemed not sure of the name to give his agrovet.

“So you think “Digitika na Kilimo Super-Agrovet is a good name?”

“Kwanza deal na customer,” Gacheru-Boy said as he pointed to a woman who was waiting at the counter.

Inside the shop I could hear Kioko aggressively explaining about a new variety of tomato. He seemed to be marketing the seed, herbicide, pesticide and fungicide at the same time.

He caught my attention with the continuous usage of “piga dawa,”

“These days you don’t need to cultivate your land, piga dawa hii ya kwekwe, then plant the seeds,” he said while holding a container.

“When the seedlings are almost germinating, piga dawa ya pre-emergence,” he added as he went for another container.

“Then when they are 3cm after germination, piga dawa hii ya post-emergence.”

“But this is expensive,” the farmer complained.

“You are my first customer so nitakupea discount,” Kioko convinced.

SPREAD THE WORD

“Just before flowering, piga dawa hii foliar ya vegetative and when they are almost ripening, piga dawa hii foliar ya fruiting,” the aggressive Kioko continued.

“Leo nahitaji mbegu tu,” the lady responded despite Kioko insisting that she buys all at once for a good discount.

There was some bargaining which the farmer was not comfortable with. Kioko gave up and came to check what Gacheru-Boy had decided about the name.

I was to suggest that he should name the shop, “Piga Dawa Agrovet when his phone rang.

“Hello, Kiambati, kwani uko wapi? Tutafanya biashara namna hii?” he shouted.

“Are you partners with Kiambati, the wanted man?” Gacheru-Boy asked even before Kioko could finish the conversation.

“Wanted?” Kioko asked as he blocked the mouth piece of the phone.

“Yes,” I answered. “Wait a minute,” Kioko said as he disappeared inside the shop quarrelling Kiambati on the phone.

It dawned on us that Kiambati was coming back with another con-scheme.

It was my time to pay back as I went to inform Mzee Jeremiah to spread the word.