I lost 2k buying a plastic dummy for a phone

Omambia Nelson Asaeli aka Keemlyf is a new age afro pop music artist. He is one of the biggest forces in the dance hall scene.

Having started singing at an early age of 10, Keemlyf has been able to carve a sound for himself since the first time he stepped into the music business in November 2017, when he got featured in a Christmas song by the BMG Empire family.

He was later featured on a song titled Ingekuaje together with Undersqo & Jimwat. Since then, he has released a couple of hits and promises there's still many more to come.

That said, Keemlyf made his debut in Nairobi after high school in 2017 and he says the streets have never been forgiving. In his quest to become independent and own a phone, which was a status symbol back then, he fell into a fraudster on his very first day.

Having saved some small money while in school, he came to Nairobi armed with the pocket money.

"I was fresh and didn't really know where to go, so when I alighted from the bus I had to chill for a friend who was to come pick me," he narrates.

While Nairobi frauds are masters of noticing a fresh face, it did not take long before one actually noticed him.

"A guy approached me and showed me a very nice smart phone," he says, adding he was elated as the guy only asked for Sh2,000.

"I badly needed the phone and knowing I had some small money, I didn't hesitate. I quickly gave him the 2k and he disappeared," says Keemlyf.

With all his 'bad boy' demeanour, the 'Banana' crooner didn't know he had fallen for one of the easiest tricks in Nairobi.

"No sooner had the guy disappeared than I tried switching on the phone. It did not start and upon further checking, I realised I had bought a junk dummy," he says. "I had no option but to swallow the humble pie and cut my losses." [Boniface Mithika]