KU Student Narrates How He Recovered His Phone From a Thief/Con man

By Abu Mburu
On Friday evening (10th April 2015) I met an old friend of mine, Vincent, who was my next door neighbor at a hostel back in 1st year. We went to a hotel in kahawa Wendani, about 300 meters from Maguna’s. Had sodas as he waited for his other 2 pals to arrive at the place. I didn’t know them.
He said to me that his phone was running out of battery, and asked to use mine to communicate to his friends. I’m not that bad, I gave him. He sent a few texts to his friends then returned my phone. Ah! He is a good pal – I thought.
He then told me to text one of his pals (I saved him Stude meaning student) that he should hurry up. I did that. After a couple of minutes, Stude arrived. He sat next to Vincent and across me at the table. He was carrying a brown A5 envelope with some papers on the inside. He ordered for a soda too. Vincent asked him if those in the envelope where his documents, he said yes.
Vincent ordered for a Tusker as we waited for the other friend of his (I saved him IT – coz Vincent said he worked with the IT department in KU). IT guy texted my phone saying he was at Maguna’s and he doesn’t know where the hotel is. Vincent made a call to IT guy and told him to walk down straight the main road on which Maguna’s is located, he’ll find Vincent waiting outside.
After a couple of minutes, Vincent said that the IT guy is taking so long that he should check on him at the entrance of the hotel and also using my phone. With Stude here, and Vincent is my pal and his soda and beer are half drunk – so he’s coming back, I told him not to take long I’m expecting a call too. He said okay.
10..20..24 minutes passed, Vincent is not yet back. I asked his pal to text him and see where he is. Before he wrote a text to Vincent, he faked a call from his mom and told her that he’s in a matatu and it’s playing loud music, he’ll call her when he gets out. And he hung up.
We talked a bit…like 6 minutes, then he faked another call from the mom again. This time he stood up and walked to the door ‘fake talking on the phone’. Stood at the door for about a minute, still talking, then walked out. I wasn’t so worried since his envelope was on the table.
About 7 minutes passed without Stude returning…when I decide to check what documents he was carrying around. I thought I was dreaming when I saw 4 blank printing papers…nothing typed or hand written – all blank! I knew I had been conned.
Called the waiter, asked for the bill, paid 300/- and borrowed the waiters phone. I had a mini-heart attack when I dialed my number and heard that Safaricom lady saying my number could not be reached.
Now I was 100% sure life did actually bend on me.
I went out, to a cyber, logged in iCloud and put my phone on lost mode and also copied Vincent’s number. Later that night, my parents called Vincent and he said he knows nothing about a lost phone or me. I called my uncle who is a works at the CID head quarters. He referred me to a friend of his at Ruiru Police Station.
I woke up very early in the morning on Monday the 13th and I was at Ruiru Police station at 8am. Recorded in the police OB and had a talk to the CID in charge. The CID told me to get all Vincent’s detail because I only had his first name and telephone number.
I passed through the hostel where we stayed at Ruiru to see if they could help me with his detail and they didn’t. So I went to KU’s security office to see if they could help me with the student’s details. They told me to first write a statement, which I did, then they called Vincent at told him to report the following day at 9am failure to which he’ll receive his suspension letter. He said okay he’ll come.
Tuesday the 14th came and at 9am he never showed up as agreed. The guys at security office tried to call him but he was unreachable. So I went to the IT support office to see if they could match first name Vincent with a telephone number – if they have the mobile numbers on their database anyways. I got an idea to know his 2 names. I sent 10/- to his phone and…
GV00JS978 Confirmed. Ksh10.00 sent to VINCENT MOMANYI 0704124676 on 14/4/15 at 10:17AM….. Damn, I’m a genius! I even went to have 10 o’clock tea – lol. Moments later, Vincent called me asking if I was in KU so that he brings me my phone. I said yeah, find me here. He said he’s going to ask for permission from a place he was working if he’s not granted he’ll have to come in the evening.
He was never granted, that’s what he said at around 2 pm. I waited till 5:59pm and started my journey home, without my phone . At 6:31pm he called asking where I was, I’m in a matatu going home. I hung up. Then sent a text to him saying either to take the phone to the security office at KU or CID office at Ruiru. He replied okay.
Wednesday the 15th, at 7:46am, I called him asking where he decided to take to phone. He said he’ll bring it to the security office in KU before 1pm. I was at the security office before 1pm and he wasn’t there… I called him he said he’s still coming…
I’m a patient person by the way..
He reached KU main gate at around 3pm, he never got in the school, he thought police were waiting for him. He gave my phone to a security officer at the gate then texted me her number so that I pick it.
Rushed to the gate, picked the phone, it was in good condition, because I had locked it remotely. He couldn’t have tampered with anything. I got back to the office, reported how that went and demanded the officers to drop the case when he pays me the amount of money I’ve used since Friday.
Pay day coming…who wants to have soda with me? Leave you phones at home though.