This archive report was first published on 13 July 2019.
It's been a while since I've had a close encounter with the police, but my recent trip to Kisumu to buy a new TV will be etched in my memory forever.
As I sat in Mr. Lutta's home, watching the Africa Cup of Nations Finals with my friend Nyayo, I couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia wash over me. We had been trying to watch the match in silence, as per the strict rules of Mr. Lutta's home, but it was clear that Kenya was going to lose.
After the match, Nyayo convinced me to get a TV, and we set off to Kisumu to make the purchase. We arrived in the city and decided to take care of our hunger first, heading to a local eatery called Lwang'ini, where we feasted on ugali and a massive fish.
With our hunger sated, we headed to a few shops that sold TVs, and it was there that I spotted the perfect one - a Muhindi shop with a TV priced at Sh23,000. I activated my bargaining mode and managed to negotiate the price down to Sh16,500.
However, things took a turn for the worse when the shop owner, Shah, ushered us to a different room and we waited for the TV to be packed. An hour passed, and we were still waiting, with Shah skillfully calming me down each time I asked what was causing the delay.
It wasn't until a few minutes later, when Shah returned with two other men, that the situation took a dramatic turn. One of the men asked me where I had gotten the money from, and I told him that I had withdrawn it from an ATM. However, he quickly shot back, saying that there was no ATM that could give out fake money.
Before I could say anything, they had handcuffed Nyayo and me together, and Nyayo quickly defended himself, saying that he didn't know anything about the money and that he had only been sent to accompany me.
They released Nyayo, and he disappeared within seconds, leaving me handcuffed to the chair. I had to admit that I had received the money from Kimani, and we tried calling him to find out where he had gotten the money from, but he was unreachable.
It was a long day with the police, and I had to give them Sh2,000 to be released. They accepted the same money that Kimani had given me, and Shah refused to give me a slightly smaller TV or return the fake money.
I left Kisumu, not knowing whether the money was fake or not, and I'm still waiting to hear from Kimani about where he got the money from.
