It takes a lot of time to build wealth, and no one wants to be in a situation where they go from being wealthy to being impoverished.
However, this happens, and money mismanagement has seen some wealthy individuals fall from grace to grass. Ben Mwangi is one of the individuals hit by the reality of money mismanagement and greed.
Narrating in an interview in 2021 how his life crumbled despite being employed as a bank manager, Mwangi revealed that after losing his job, he led a life of extravagance, spending all he had on women and alcohol.
Mwangi was employed as a bank manager in Nairobi on the recommendation of the late former President Jomo Kenyatta. He served at the bank for eight years before being sacked over theft claims.
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Reports have it that after he lost the bank job, Mwangi approached his close friend, the late Kenneth Matiba, who happened to be his neighbor in their rural home in Murang’a County, requesting a job opportunity.
Matiba hired him as his personal accountant, but greed took the better part of him, and it was not long before Mwangi started stealing from Matiba.
“If at all you are born a swindler, even if you try to do what, you will remain as such. I also stole from Matiba in 1978,” Mwangi confessed in an interview with The Standard on September 21, 2021.
Mwangi said that a violent altercation ensued at Matiba’s offices once the politician got wind of his unscrupulous behavior. He was immediately sacked and later joined the world of crime.
He said he was convinced by a friend to engage in bank fraud since he had experience working at a bank, a deal that led to a three-year arrest.
“Within five years’ time, we were caught and jailed for three years. When I completed my jail term, I decided to stop stealing and started doing manual work,’’ he added.
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Upon his release, Mwangi allegedly had substantive savings that he all used on women and liquor. The lifestyle later plunged the once-revered accountant into extreme poverty.
“I had money when I was a bank manager, and also at Matiba’s place, life was great. Right now, I squandered all that money with women and on liquor,” he stated.
Things turned ugly for him as his wife divorced him over his unscrupulous behaviors, and became homeless after squandering all he had.
“My wife left me because I loved women so much, but I’m now remorseful, and I wish we could reconcile. Our children and now adults, some in their 50s, and I am now almost 80 years old. I wish I knew,” Mwangi said.
He stayed in the streets for 15 years before being rescued and taken to a rehabilitation center. He advised young people to spend their youthful life wisely as a single mistake would cost them in the long run.
“What I can tell these young people is that make hay while the sun shines because if you don’t, then you’ll become very remorseful in your old age, and it won’t help,” Mwangi said.