SHAURI MOYO POLICE STATION
A young man called Dennis Murigi (born 1998) rents a single room somewhere in Nairobi Eastlands. Months later he vacates the room and goes back to his parents’ home. He leaves the key with a friend.
The friend steals a T-shirts printing machines and a lap top somewhere in Gikomba and hides them in the room without the knowledge of Dennis.
Police trace the items in the room. Dennis is arrested. Meanwhile the real thief escapes.
Dennis is locked up at Shauri Moyo Police Station. That was Friday last week. He spends weekend and yesterday in custody.
The complaint is called at the station. He identifies the items. Everything has been recovered. He sympathizes with Dennis and his parents who are poverty striken. He gladly says since he has recovered his property he doesn’t want to press any charges.
But police have a different idea. They want something to eat for the efforts and to close the transaction. It always happens that way in Kenya.
No one gives the “something”. The complainant won’t and the parents have nothing. So a decision is made, Dennis has to be charged.
Today he is escorted to BuruBuru police station where he has to appear before a court virtually. He is charged with breaking and stealing from the complaint ‘s house. The goods stolen are worth 72k.
Dennis is granted 30k cash bail. His parents can’t even raise half of that. In fact for them to move from shauri moyo to BuruBuru, the complaint himself paid their fare. The complaint was going to withdraw the case but he was not even allowed to address the court.
Dennis is told he can’t be taken to Industrial Area remand due to Covid. He is taken back to Shauri Moyo Police where is spending the time. The next mention of the case is April 29.
This is a young innocent boy who has not stolen anything. He doesn’t even know what was stolen. And the complainant is willing to withdraw the case. He is not interested in it. Even paying fare for Dennis parents to go to court.
But someone somewhere will not allow that cause of justice because 5K chai has not been given out. Our courts have been preaching day and night about settling such cases out of court.
Now the printing machine and lap top must remain at the police station as exhibits even if for one year. Everyone loses.
But some police officers are deaf. And since they can’t do anything else, peleka yeye kotini. That’s all they know. And we except Dennis 23, to grow up loving his country and his government.
SICKNESS.
