My career as a banker had picked up, earning a decent salary of Ksh 200,000 per month. But something happened to me on 23 July 2016 that I won’t forget.
I got employed by a Kenyan bank in 2012.I had graduated with a degree in statistics from Nairobi University. After attempting an aptitude test, I passed and got hired. I was posted in Nakuru as a graduate clerk.
After three years of hard work and dedication, I was promoted to the position of supervisor and transferred to Nairobi. My salary grew from Ksh 68,000 to Ksh145,000 in three years. While in Nairobi, work started well until 2017 January when something strange happened.
My Manager at that time sent a client to me for a signature. Since I didn’t notice anything wrong, I signed. The amount was Ksh 2.3 million. Two months elapsed, I forgot about the issue as business went on as usual. One morning as I was about to start my daily routine, I got a call from the HR that I am required to see him. I went to the Manager’s office only to find that he had been summoned as well.
When we arrived at the HR’s office in Upper Hill, we found the Manager was present and other three managers plus 2 people whom I didn’t know. I was informed that we withdrew money from someone’s client without his consent. The document I had signed of Ksh2.3 million was fake. I didn’t have anything to defend with because I am the one who signed. My Manager who ordered for the signing said that he is not aware of the document.
I was informed that Ksh2.3 million was withdrew from the client’s account and the report is already with the DCI.I was arrested and taken to Muthaiga Police Station. The manager was told to go and continue with his usual work.
The following morning, I was taken to Milimani Law Courts and charged for forgery and theft. I pleaded not guilty and was released on a cash bail of Ksh300,000.
When I arrived home, I was notified that my job is over. It was something I was not expecting.
The following week I hit the road. But something unusual happened. I realized that my bank had notified all banks about my case, I could not be employed anywhere. After one year of tarmacking, I got nothing forthcoming. All the money I had saved dried up—it was not between me and God.
It’s then that I realized I didn’t have friends; all were plastic friends. When you are broke, that’s the time you learn the true character of human beings. I tried to borrow money from friends but only one of them gave me Ksh500.I eventually turned to my mother for help
I started getting shy of moving out of the house. There were no jobs, no money, no friends, no nothing. Out of curiosity, I started searching on how to make money from home. I thank God I thought on this line. The first article I read made me more curious and interested to know more. It’s after thorough research I stumbled on one article that led me into creation of my first blog. In December 2019, I developed my own blog which I hosted at Bluehost as directed by many bloggers
Even as I started operating the blog, my mind was still stuck in the past. I was thinking on how I lost my Ksh200,000 monthly salary and how unfair could the world be. But the desire to succeed was fueling my energy.
For the first three months, I wasn’t earning any money from the blog, but I was encouraging myself that one day, something good will come out of my efforts. The good thing is that AdSense had approved my account and I was sure of earning in future.
My first income came after 8 months of consistent blogging, I earned Ksh 23,100 which had accumulated over that period. This money was little but it enabled me foot some bills.
By September 2018, the idea of looking for another job had died down, I was now fully focused on my blog. My income grew from Ksh23,100 to Ksh 20,000 per month in three months. The more I posted, the more I earned. By 2019 January, I was earning over Ksh 70,000 every month.
My case with the bank ended in September 2019 and I was fined Ksh 500,000, but the bank did not prove that I stole the money.
I have been focusing on blogging and so far I believe it was God’s plan to get in trouble so as to realize my potential.
My manager who set me up was ordered to go for early retirement because the bank was trying to cut costs. He is searching for a job too.
