Talented Kenyan Actor Ainea Ojiambo, who has starred in a number of films both locally and internationally, didn't know what hit him when he fell into the hands of a career swindler,
Ainea, who has since then, played in two Hollywood films, was just another unsuspecting citizen going about his day when he became the target of a con-artist.
Speaking on the Janjaruka Series on September 25, 2019, Ojiambo highlighted how he had been trapped by his own love for gold.
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"I was in Mombasa, just having started working, and I'm a lover of gold as you can see," he begins his tale.
"I wanted gold but I couldn't raise the amount of money to buy it," he continues.
Yet, as fate would have it, Ojiambo was to meet a man who promised to grant his wishes, or so it seemed at the time.
"A guy who knew I wanted gold came to me and asked if I wanted to see some pieces he had," Ojiambo narrates.
"We went to a corner and he showed me a gold chain," he adds, foreshadowing the trap that had been set.
"I said this is what I want. It was back in those days of the Akasha's and they used to have big chains around their necks so I felt I had to have a gold chain," explains Ojiambo.
The snake-oil salesman led him towards the deal by convincing him that he was getting a great bargain.
"This guy told me that this gold chain would be Ksh 20,000 but the real price would be Ksh 80,000 or Ksh 100,000, "Ojiambo recalls.
Already half-convinced, Ojiambo then asked for verification that the piece was indeed real gold.
"I told him we had to prove if it was genuine. He said you can test by lighting it, so he burned it with a cigarette lighter and it didn't change colour," details Ojiambo
Having swallowed, hook and line, the sinker came in when the con-artist offered him a second verification method to further bolster his confidence.
"He also said you can take the acid from a car battery and pour on it, which he did and it didn't change colour and I was convinced then that it was real gold. So I went to the atm, withdrew Ksh 20,000 like a fool and gave it to them," he concedes.
Ojiambo enjoyed the status that came with his 'gold' piece for just a few days before the gold came off.
"I was able to walk around with the gold chain during the day, people thought I was macho. Then one morning I said let me shower with the chain," he narrates preempting the eventual tragic conclusion.
"I was shocked when I looked in the mirror because the gold was gone, all that was left was some silver thing," Ojiambo expresses.
It was a lesson well learnt, however. The actor maintains his aversion to gold street vendors remains to date.
"I tried looking for the guy: nothing. From that time, I only go to goldsmiths, I no longer buy gold from the streets, unless it falls from heaven," Ojiambo finalises his tale.
