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Chaos as DECI Fails To Pay
Date: Fri 18th May 2007
Mediahouse: The People Daily
By NICHOLAS NDIRANGU And JAMES MUNYEKI
PANDEMONIUM reigned at the Nyahururu offices of Development Entrepreneurship and Community Initiative (DECI) yesterday as members sought payment of their dues in vain.
Hundreds of investors descended on the company's offices demanding the payment of the Initial deposits they made to the company since 2003.
But the investors who converged there from Ndaragwa, Kipipiri, Kinangop, Kinamba and Rumuruti got a rude shock when they were advised to return at a later date.
Members of staff at the offices, situated at the prestigious Kimwa Centre, told the investors the company could not pay them because it was mourning the recent death of a senior manager in Nairobi.
An 83-year-old depositor from Nyahururu's Maina slums wept uncontrollably after being told her dues would not be paid as promised. Ann Njoki Ndirangu, who became the unwitting spectacle at the company's offices after defying an order to leave, insisted on staying there until she was paid Shs 24,OOO, being her Shs 8,000 deposit plus interest.
She explained that she had exhausted all her resources to join DECI after being promised that she would get more money within two months. "I had to work as a casual labourer in our village to raise the money which I later deposited with DECI. But now it's all gone," she lamented.
Charles Chege, another investor who had deposited Shs 14,800, claimed that he has been visiting the offices for the last three months but he was given only empty promises.
He said the staff at the offices only told depositors to leave their contacts with the secretary to facilitate communications once the money was available. "We have even deposited some Shs 6,400 from our self-help group. But now it is all lost, " he complained.
Notices displayed on the walls indicated that the payments would be delayed as the cheques had not matured. They are dated March 7. Contacted for comment, John Gicheru, the office manager, referred the press to regional manager Peter Ndegwa who is based in Nakuru.
Speaking on the phone, Ndegwa said the company was experiencing financial strains all over the country but pledged that millions of shillings owed to investors would be paid soon.
DECI chief executive officer George Donde, while in a meeting in Nyahururu town last week, assured investors that their dues would be paid soon.
CHANZO: Chaos as DECI Fails To Pay | Mars Group Kenya
Hebu angalia hii, wajanja wengine wanataka kuwaliza watu waliokwisha lizwa na DECI
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Debt collectors prey on pyramid scheme victims
From eastandard.net
By John Ndegwa
When Stephen Mwanzia Muema read a classified advertisement claiming that anybody who had lost money in pyramid schemes could recover their hard earned cash, he felt like his prayers had been answered.
Mwema, 34, who runs a food kiosk in Kawangware, Nairobi, had last year invested Sh10,000 in Development Entrepreneurship Capacity Initiative (Deci), one of the pyramid schemes that swindled unsuspecting Kenyans millions of shillings.
But after 10 months of following up on every turn and twist of the Deci rip-off, he finally saw light at the end of the tunnel.
"I saw a newspaper advertisement saying that people could recover money lost in pyramid schemes and I decided to seek the agencys help," he says.
The advert that attracted Muemas attention read in part: "Have you invested your money in pyramid schemes, business community Saccos and they have closed their offices, have failed to pay you, have cheated you with excuses? Stop the stories and excuses! Recover your money now!"
New breed of con artists
Thus when he stepped into an office on Nairobis Kenyatta Avenue, Muema was confident that his tribulations were about to end.
But were they? Apparently and as it turned out, Muema was yet again walking into another deceiving trap.
To recover his Sh10,000 he was told that he needed to produce all the Deci receipts, a copy of his national identity card and pay Sh2,000 registration fee.
Because his money was less than the minimum amount of Sh75,000 threshold the agency was recovering, he had to pay a five per cent facilitation fee.
In total, Muema was required to pay Sh5,750 upfront before the agency could embark on recovering the Sh10,000 he lost in Deci.
According to the lady who served him, it would take four to six weeks to recover the money after which he would pay a final five per cent fee.
If he recovers his money, Muema would have paid the agency Sh9,500.
Unknown to Muema though, the people who allege they could help him recover his money represent a new breed of con artists operating under the guise of debt collectors.
Though debt collection agencies have existed for years, the new crop of swindlers is operating on the pretext of debt collectors targeting desperate investors who lost their money in pyramid schemes.
According to Mr Peter Wanjau, an accountant at a leading beverages distributor and a former debt collector, the agencies are claiming they can recover money on behalf of those conned by pyramid schemes are in fact former pyramid scheme operators who have turned to debt collectors.
"They have realised that people who lost money in pyramid schemes are desperate to recover their money and are easy targets," he states.
When Shillings & Sense visited the agency that had placed the adverts, a man at the office said they follow up cases for people who lost money in pyramid schemes upon entering a "voluntary agreement" with the distressed party.
"We work with lawyers to file cases on their behalf and wait for the legal process to take course," he explained unconvincingly, adding that their target is usually frozen accounts of pyramid schemes rather than the directors.
On why they charge a registration fee and ask for a percentage against the amount to be recovered instead of recovering the money first and paying themselves from the recovered money, he said: "Ours is a service and even when you go to a lawyer or doctor you must pay a consultation fee."
According to Wanjau, individuals disguising as debt collectors to con gullible people are operating on the basis that there is no law that regulates the practice and conduct of debt collectors.
This has effectively provided room for anybody to set up shop and operate as a debt collector. "This is a business that anybody can engage in" he explains, adding that in fact most are briefcase operators with no professional training.
Traditionally debt collectors have been viewed as ruffians who enjoy harassing, intimidating, threatening, attaching and even auctioning a debtors properties.
This has made some people believe that because the government has failed in helping them recover their money from pyramid schemes, debt collectors can use their skills to help them.
But according to Mr Wachira Ndege, the group operations director at Credit Reference Bureau Africa, people need to realise the traditional methods of debt collection no longer work. "Things have changed and being crude does not work," he says.
CHANZO: CREDIT KENYA: Debt collectors prey on pyramid scheme victims
Hii hapa Serikali inajaribu kusaidia kupunguza makali
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Nyaga unveils taskforce to investigate pyramid schemes
Published on 10/02/2009
By Susan Anyangu
Co-operative Development Minister Joseph Nyaga has unveiled a taskforce that will investigate collapsed pyramid schemes that swindled Kenyans off billions of shillings.
Mr Nyaga launched the nine-member taskforce that will be chaired by Mr Francis Nyenze, on Monday.
Speaking during the launch, Nyaga said the taskforce would have a three-month mandate to establish who were behind the schemes.
"The taskforce will go around the country, especially the crisis regions which include Nairobi, Mount Kenya and Western province. They will seek to establish how we can resolve the problem and prosecute those involved," Nyaga said.
In 2006 and 2007, there was an influx of organisations luring innocent Kenyans to invest cash with a promise of quick returns. The market regulator, Central Bank of Kenya issued a warning that the schemes were operating against banking regulations, as they were not allowed to collect cash deposits.
How investors lost
When the Government started a crackdown on suspected pyramid schemes, the owners panicked and went underground with billions of shillings invested by innocent Kenyans. The taskforce is expected to establish the number and nature of pyramid and other related schemes and the identities of their directors.
"They will investigate the amount and whereabouts of funds invested into the schemes. They will also formulate and recommend strategies to apprehend operators with a view of prosecution," said Nyaga.
At the end of three months, the taskforce will present a report, which will include recommendations and mechanisms for recovery of funds invested.
CHANZO: The Standard | Online Edition: Nyaga unveils taskforce to investigate pyramid schemes
Hapa utaona jinsi mashirika ya kidini, yalivyoshiriki kuwatapeli wauumini wao, yaani hizi issue ili watu waiingizwe ilibidi imani itumike, ole wao.
RIZIKI - Wahubiri walikuwa maajenti
WATU wengi wilayani Murang'a Kaskazini walilazimishwa kuokoka kabla ya kuruhusiwa kuwekeza pesa katika mashirika ya Pyramid (piramidi) yaliyofilisika.
''Wahubiri wa makanisa ndio walitumiwa kutafuta wateja wa kuwekeza katika mashirika ya Deci na Clip Investments, na mojawapo. Baadhi ya masharti yalikuwa lazima mteja awe mwongofu, na awe na barua kutoka kwa mchungaji wake ya kuthibitisha alikuwa mwongofu na kukiri Yesu ni Bwana,'' baadhi ya waliopoteza mamilioni ya pesa katika mashirika hayo waliambia kamati ya uchunguzi.
Kamati inayochunguza kashfa hiyo ya mashirika ya piramidi inayoongozwa na aliyekuwa Mbunge wa Makuweni, Bw Francis Nyenze, ilionyesha kusikitishwa na maelezo yaliyokuwa yakitolewa na wananchi waliopoteza pesa zao katika mashirika hayo.
UCHUNGUZI Kamati hiyo ambayo ilifanya kikao chake katika chumba cha mikutano cha Mugama Union Board, mjini Murang'a, iliambiwa visa vingi vya watu kujinyonga ambavyo vimekuwa vikiripotiwa katika sehemu hiyo, vilitokana na kuvunjika moyo na kukata tamaa.
Aidha, ndoa nyingi zilivunjika baada ya wanawake wengi waliovutwa na maneno matamu ya wachungaji na matumaini ya kujiongezea mapato kupitia mashirika hayo, kupoteza pesa zao zote. Jambo hili lilisababisha mikwaruzano kati yao na waume zao.
Bw Wilson Gatu, aliambia kamati hiyo jinsi alivyopoteza Sh1.5 milioni mnamo 2007 baada ya kuwekeza katika mashirika hayo.
''Nilihimizwa na mhubiri mmoja niwekeze pesa zangu ambazo nililipwa baada ya kustaafu katika mojawapo wa mashirika hayo ya piramidi, na hadi leo, hakuna chochote nimepata,'' Mzee Gatu alieleza kwa masikitiko makubwa.
Mwanamke ambaye hakutaka jina lake litajwe, alieleza jinsi anavyodaiwa na wanawake wenzake Sh500,000 ambazo aliwekeza kwa piramidi kwa niaba yao.
Alieleza vile alivyowekeza Sh5,000 na kisha akapata Sh12,000.
MATUMAINI ''Nilipoona kuna mapato, niliamua kuwekeza Sh100,000 katika akaunti ya Deci, lakini hadi sasa sijapata chochote,'' mwanamke huyo alisema kwa huzunu uliochanganyika na hasira.
Kamati hiyo iliambiwa kuwa maafisa wa shirika la Deci walikuwa wakiweka pesa katika akaunti zao za kibinafsi.
Wakati wa mkutano huo, Kasisi Ben Irungu wa Kanisa la Assemblies of God, alikabiliwa na wakati mgumu kuelezea jinsi walivyoajiriwa na Askofu Peter Ndegwa wa Kanisa la Winners Transaction Network kuwa maajenti wa shirika la Deci.
Bw Nyenze alifichua kwamba wananchi wa Mlima Kenya walipoteza zaidi ya Sh600 milioni katika mashirika hayo.
Kamati hiyo inachunguza mashirika 132 ya piramidi ambayo yalifanya Wakenya wapoteze pesa zao.
Baadhi ya mashirika hayo yametoweka na kufunga afisi.
Wananchi wameiomba serikali kuwasaidia kupata pesa hizo walizowekeza.
Hata hivyo, serikali ilifunga akaunti za baadhi ya mashirika uchunguzi ukiendelea.
CHANZO: RIZIKI - Wahubiri walikuwa maajenti
Nafikiri kila mmoja sasa ana DATA za kutosha endapo aongozwe na tamaa zake au kuweka imani yake kwa DECI.
