Women in Nairobi night clubs conning their way to riches

..........the cultre of Chips Funga............u

Cases have been reported of sly women who ensnare flashy-looking male revelers by charming them with killer smiles, before posing as fair game and just when victims think they have landed an easy lay, they wake up the following morning robbed proper, writes SILAS NYANCHWANI

Twice, Dennis Nzioka has lost valuable electronics from his house under circumstances that generated more laughter than pity from his peers. He regularly picks pretty women from clubs and takes them home after a long night of partying.

The 28-year-old, who is an ICT expert with a media outlet, subscribes to the culture of Chips Funga (Nairobi’s version of one night stands) and with that, he has occasionally paid a huge price for his carnal pursuits.

Dennis is not the first — and certainly won’t be the last, to take home a perfect female stranger from a club, only to wake up in the morning to a virtually empty house. These incidents, which are widespread, largely go unreported given the shame that such lustful tendencies bring.

And every weekend, brings to light another horrendous tale for the revelers; and a couple of men go through this unpalatable experience.

It all begins when, for instance, a young man, mostly working or with access to some quick disposable income, turns up in a club on a Friday night to drink, dance and if lucky, get a woman to take home for a one night stand.

HUMBLE

In the club he sees a beautiful woman, who looks deceptively humble and he offers her drinks after being invited with a smile. And after a lengthy night of dancing and sharing drinks, they both become drunk and establish a good rapport — they agree to go home for a no-strings-attached-fling.

The man is after satiating his wild carnal desires fueled by the alcohol and the spontaneity of meeting a willing female, and the woman is out to relieve him of all his valuables.

By the time the man wakes up the following morning with the mother of all hang-overs, he is rudely ushered to the reality of not just the missing woman, but his expensive electronics, too.

“It is commonplace, especially in the Eastlands,” says *Paul Ngure, who has been a victim in the recent past. “Who do you turn to when you encounter such? The police? Nooo…”the soft-spoken researcher cries.

Another victim, Emmanuel once met two women in a club in Donholm and offered them drinks. They became buddies and visited him twice, and offered to buy him drinks the weekend that followed. Unbeknown to him, they were contriving one hell of a scheme. They bought him lots of drinks and apparently, in their previous visits, they had established some good rapport with the watchman and a few neighbours.

Emmanuel has never exactly known what happened, but electronic goods worth Sh70,000 disappeared in that particular night while he was drunkenly asleep, happy with the generosity of the women.

“It is no longer news. They target men who are seemingly loaded and flaunting flashy gadgets such as sophisticated phones and jewellery, and are eager to impress,” explains Emmanuel.

Young impressionable bachelors, with lots of money to blow, who are in the habit of regularly picking women from night clubs for overnight flings have reason to worry. A good number of these swanky men have fallen victims of spiking and automatically losing a lot of fancy items.

Allegedly, when these women’s plan go well, they even empty victims bank accounts, thanks to their smooth way of talking that extracts bank account pin numbers from gullible men.

FLASHY

“These women are making a living by stealing from men who drink irresponsibly and are readily gadgets of ostentation in a bid to prove they are, indeed, men of means,” says Catherine Wanjiru, a Sociology student at the University of Nairobi.

“It is easier to steal from a man as a woman than it is for a fellow man. Men are less suspicious of women, especially if they look beautiful and ready to be taken home,” explains Catherine who believes the women are driven by desire for flashy lifestyles as well for basic survival in these days of high inflation.”

Alcohol has increasingly become more of a bane than a boon to socialites. Alcohol consumption — currently soaring, especially among the younger generation, has greatly contributed to many other horrible incidents.

But the case of young women stealing from bachelors takes the biscuit. For starters, it is initially impossible to think of the innocent woman as a potential thief. Some emphasise their humility by claiming to be working, but earning very little, thus compelling men to burn money on them.

Others claim to be naïve university students prompting men to drop and lower their guard, and even leave drinks unguarded for a bathroom break. It is during such times they spike the drinks.

ACROBATICS

These women are always in twos or threes — to properly execute their plan. But sometimes they are part of a bigger ring that even involves men. The role of the woman is to lure the victim into a wrong corner before a gang of strong men lurking in the dark robs them. For example, she can announce that she wants to go home and pleads to be escorted at such ungodly hour, never mind her stage will have to be an abandoned backstreet.

Alternatively, they can exaggerate their level of drunkenness to lure the man into taking her home. Woe unto the man if he lives in an easily accessible apartment with inadequate security for his house will be swept clean. After they are done with horizontal acrobatics and the man is fast asleep, she will wake up, sedate him with a numbing spray and pack whatever she can and disappear. Isn’t it reason enough for men to be wary of a woman with bags big enough to fit a sheep and a lamb?

In some elaborate plans, plasma TVs and really cumbersome gadgets have also been stolen in the most inexplicable ways. Unaccompanied men are, especially vulnerable.

CONSEQUENCES

“I don’t just pick any woman. I first gauge instinctively on the alcohol consumption of the woman and the mannerisms, before I can even engage her in a discussion. There are good women in the club, of course. It is a question of knowing where to party. Some joints in certain streets should be avoided,” explains Joe Akim an artist who is a regular reveler.

“It is embarrassing to wake up in Uthiru with only your boxers as it has happened to many men around Nairobi,” offers Joe sarcastically.

It all boils down to how far we can trust strangers around us. Living in the era of social media, many young people can readily hawk their safety to strangers, according to Bernard Moseti. He further blames it on the impatience that nowadays afflicts young men, especially in urban centres.

“They shun hard work. Even in courtship, they want shortcuts. The young women also want quick riches. Hence, the unfolding scenario you are talking about. But shortcuts have consequences and that is what the victims of such tragedies and the women ought to learn.