Michael was already irritated. He had just missed his favourite nganya, with loudspeakers, neon lights, and booming bass. It was supposed to make him feel part of the Friday mood in the city despite swearing off parties and clubs for the past four weeks. And now he was stuck in a slow, dull matatu that seemed to take forever to fill up.
The conductor kept shouting for more passengers while Michael sat there, scrolling through his phone and wondering why he had not just taken a boda. Then his phone buzzed. A message lit up the screen: “Jamaa kwani uko?” His boys were already hyped for a bash, big DJ, a prime table, and the kind of energy that was hard to resist.
But Michael was adamant about keeping his promise to himself; No parties for five straight Fridays. The plan was to save for his mom’s upkeep upcountry and start investing in a Money Market Fund (MMF), which his colleague could not stop talking about. On top of that, he didn’t want to be the only non-intern in his office who did not own a car. So every coin mattered.
Still, he told himself he would stick to two beers, stay within his spending limit, and call it a night.
As the conductor tapped his shoulder for fare on the way to the club, Michael opened the New KCB Mobile App, taking seconds to make the transaction. However, while he was at it, he checked his balance and decided his maximum expenditure for the night would be Ksh8,000 and an extra Ksh15,000 for fair and lunch for the week, and upkeep for mom.
To maintain discipline, he moved Ksh35,000 straight into the KCB MMF. The rest of his money was already locked away.
By the time he got to the club, the streets were buzzing with excitement. Outside, the smell of nyama choma was just hard to ignore. Michael tapped his phone again, Ksh300 gone for choma. Then came mshikaki, costing Ksh150, which was paid through his banking app.
Inside, their corner was right next to the DJ booth, with a perfect view of the dance floor. They kicked things off with a mzinga, and the night took off fast. Three bottles in, his smooth-talking friend brought over a table of ladies and three bottles of wine to match. Michael’s heart sank. This was not part of his budget.
Split Bill to the Rescue
When the bill arrived, it was a total of Ksh 24,000. All eyes turned to Michael, the friend with the “big job”. But thanks to the KCB Mobile App’s split bill feature, he quickly divided the cost. One friend even chipped in extra to lighten his load, bringing Michael’s share down to just Ksh7,000. Still on budget.
Feeling good about how the night unfolded and in control of his money, he decided to be the responsible one and call an Uber to drop his four friends home, just to make sure they arrived safely. But as the Uber was leaving the parking lot, it clipped another vehicle, damaging its rear right light.
As he headed home, Michael opened his app and checked his MMF. His investment had already grown. It was a small but satisfying reward for setting limits and sticking to them.
Ukijipata kwa ngori during a Friday night experience, you can always count on the New KCB App, which is available on the Google Play Store for Android users and on the Apple Store.
