How Ciku Muiruri’s Sh528,000 deal turned a hoax

Nairobi, Kenya: An enviable sponsorship to have celebrity radio personality and writer Ciku Muiruri's daughter attend an international conference in the United States has turned scandalous, MondayBlues has learned.

The offer, which Upstream Group had promised to sponsor Erica Njeri to the tune of USD 6000 (Sh528,000) for the Global Young Leaders conference that kicks off today backfired, and ironically left Ciku chasing after her cash from the man who was brokering the deal.

After showing interest to sponsor the rather popular teen who is recalled for raising over Sh3 million for her cancer charity project that drew the interest of Kenya's First Lady, Joe Watson Gakuo (acting for Upstream Group) held a series of meetings with Ciku in a uptown city hotel during which Ciku was forced to put up expensive bills, which Upstream Group was meant to refund. One of the bills read Sh7,000.

But a few days to the global conference, Upstream Group withdrew the sponsorship in unclear circumstances that after the young girl had processed documents to travel besides making the other necessary arrangements.

"My boss had approved that sponsorship and had presented the case to me. You will agree with me that a company has the right to change and at the same time, there was no binding us to the sponsorship," a mail from Dominic to Ciku read in part.

As this drama unfolds, Erica is in the United States for the conference less the said sponsorship and Ciku is still pursuing Upstream Group to refund her her cash.

"I acknowledge having received that receipt and Joe had asked me to process the refund and send to you. Such refund take 30 working days to process and you will receive the refund on July, 4, 2014 since I was instructed to expedite it. It requires two more internal approvals," a mail from Dominic of Upstream Group that was forwarded to MondayBlues has it.

According to Ciku, the pledge has not been executed yet.