Paedophile tries to bribe his way out

 

Our boss Inspector Tembo is furious at Sgt Sophia and I. I might be wrong, but the fat man looks even fatter today.

“That’s your idea of a solution?” he yells. “A grown man defiles a minor and you wanna offer him counselling?”

He’s referring to a case where a 14-year-old girl wished to leave school and get married to a boda boda rider. We managed to talk the girl out of it by explaining that if she got married, she would have to visit her new husband in jail for the long foreseeable future. Now we wanted to counsel the boyfriend.

“Sir,” Sophia started, “we’ve discovered that the boy, James, is only 17 years old.”

Tembo glares at her.

“I’ve put boys younger than that in jail. For less! Statutory rape is still rape. I thought you stuck to the letter of the law, unlike us backward village people.”

“Inspector,” I say, “may I see you outside for a second?”

He follows me out.

“This better be good, Sergeant.”

“Don’t you see? She’s finally coming around. You wanna be mired in a Kericho court for a year? God knows who you’ll run into there.”

“You’re right, son.” He nods gravely. “My enemies are everywhere.”

“So, let us handle this. If it fails, you can lock him up and chuck the keys.”

We get one shot. We haul Jaymo in on a lucky charge of not wearing a mask.

“Officer, si tubonge,” he pleads. “Niko na rwabe.”

“That’s two-hundred,” I explain to Sophia.

“I understand Sheng, Makini. Jaymo, do you know it’s a crime to bribe a police officer?”

“Iza, jo. Si lazima iwe bribe.”

“Actually,” I chip in, “she’s means it’s not enough. You’ll need more, like thao rwabe.”

“Juu ya mask?”

“Juu wewe ni paedophile.”

“Eti nimedu file nini?”

“Ume-defile mtoto wa wenyewe,” Sophia says.

Jaymo turns to me.

“Sielewi hii Sheng yake. Anasema?”

“Asego, know her? She’s your girlfriend, right? And she’s only 13.”

“Fourteen, na sijamdara. I swear!”

“She’s still a minor,” Sophia roars, “and whether you may have touched her or not, people like you who target minors are called paedophiles.”

“Hata mimi ni minor. So, tuko sawa.”

“Under the law, you’re not,” I explain. “You’re headed for Kamiti Maximum.”

“Basi hata yeye aende Maximum ya madame juu mimi ni minor.”

“Good idea.” Sophia heads for the door. “I’ll go get her.”

“Yeah,” I add. “Tell her that her chicken of a boyfriend sold her out so he won’t go to jail alone.”

“Hey!” Jaymo calls out. “Iza, jo. Tubonge kiasi.”

“Aje?” Sophia asks. “You have another rwabe bribe for her?”

“Mimi ndo humpa dough.”

“And a phone, credit, rides… You think a 14-year-old can be your wife?”

“Wife?” Jaymo’s eyes grow wide as marbles. “Nani amesema tuna-marry?”

“She did,” Sophia says. “But that can only happen in 15 years’ time, maybe never. That’s how long you get for having sex with a minor.”

“I haven't touched her. I swear!”

“I’ll arrange for her to be tested to ascertain that. In the meantime, if you so much as talk to her…”

“Nimeelewa. I’ll be penned off file.”

I fight not to laugh.

“That’s right, Jaymo. You’ll be totally penned off the file.”

He sighs with relief.

“Poa officer. Naweza ishia sasa?”

“Not so fast, Jaymo,” Sophia says. “There’s still the matter of your motorbike.”

“Damn. Nilijua mtaitafutia makosa tu.”

“It’s not the bike, it’s you.” Sophia holds up a motorcycle licence. “How did you manage to get this at seventeen?”

Jaymo sulks.

“Shoot! I guess bado nahitaji more than rwabe kutoka, huh?”