Monday Morning

Aug 23, 2010 – 8:30am  The start of another week.  This one should be a little busier for us.  Morgan is coming for a visit with Justin who is visiting from the US and Kelsey and Rachelle – both Americans living in Kenya for extended periods.  We will be celebrating Morgan’s birthday today or tomorrow with the kids – pictures to follow.

The excitement last week was Joe having a (unfortunately) former student arrested.  This kid had a very promising future – good student and athlete as well.  He was being sponsored at a good secondary school. 

Here’s the short story.  He was originally presented as a full orphan.  After 8 years he fesses up that both his parents are alive.  His mom actually submitted the forged documents. 

(It’s now Wed afternoon and I’m just getting back to this after a few happening days.)

He started acting up in school, not doing well, skipping class, etc.  And he was ‘spoiling young girls’ in the Mbita area.  Not a good thing.  Joe and the school was still working with him, showing mercy, counseling him and still willing to help.  But minutes after a heart to heart talk with him up at CGA he stole the principles phone.  Last straw, game over.  No longer will he be supported.

He came back to town and Joe did not think was a good thing.  He went to talk with the boy.  When the boy saw him he took off running.  Joe followed suit, in his nice clothes, including dress shoes.  Joe’s in shape, but this kid is fast.  Anyway Joe chased a while, including past the men’s bathing beach, where they were on his side, standing up, all soaped up, shouting he went that way.  Joe’s thinking ‘thank you naked uncircumcised black man’.

Joe doesn’t catch him.  Later that evening Joe has paid 20 ksh to a child neighbor to report to him if the boy returns, has talked to several people to verify stories, made a trip tp the police station and given chase a second time when the boy shows up at home.  He even goes room to room with a candle checking under beds and in closets to see if the boy is hiding.

Fast forward a day or so and the boy turns up at relatives in Kisumu area.  This is the place he went after stealing the phone and a relative searched him, found it and returned it.  A few calls from the police and Joe and they bring the boy to the Mbita police (who are dealing with a double murder of fishermen up the road a ways).  They throw the by in jail and the idea is sprung for the police to bring him in hand cuffs to CGA and talk with the students.  So that happened last Friday afternoon. 

Currently we do not know if the boy is still in jail.  Last we heard, he was in jail and the family was not to bring food (meals are not provided by the police).  Police said they would give him a little so he would not starve.

From the Mbita Police Blotter,

Paul