Man narrates his ordeal after police found him with a stolen laptop

The nightmare for Derrick Dre began when the Directorate of Criminal Investigation officers suddenly showed up at his business premises in Busia three years ago.

Derrick was accused of murdering someone and stealing his laptop. However, that was far from the truth.

On Thursday night, Derrick took to social media to narrate how he was unknowingly selling a laptop that had been stolen from someone at gun point and the owner murdered in cold blood.

On that fateful day, DCI officers raided his house, searching for a gun they thought he owned. After failing to locate the gun, the officers took him to Busia Police Station where he was introduced to his “partners in crime”.

“We were ferried to Awasi sugar plantations in a convoy of 7 DCI vehicles. Guns were cocked and pointed at us. We were asked to produce guns we used to kill people. Scariest day of my life. After telling them we were unaware of what they were saying, a laptop which was pulled from my shop and a phone that was taken from my ‘partners in crime’ were fished out and the cops demanded we explain where we got the items from,” Derrick narrated.

When he saw the laptop, derrick started laughing uncontrollably due fear and relief. He had immediately recognized the laptop. He was punched by one officer and immediately started explaining where he had obtained the stolen laptop.

“See this laptop was given to me by my immediate neighbour (a Kenya Prisons Officer). He was financially pressed and in need of quick cash and he thought since I owned a computer shop, why not have it on display there. Once it’s sold, the business will get a cut,” the computer-shop owner said.

The two other men had bought a second-hand phone from someone. They operated a phone store. After the life-saving explanation, they were taken back to the vehicles and to Ukwala Police Station.

They were thrown into the cells. They had been spared and lived to see another day. Derrick was later picked from the cells and asked to describe the physical traits of the officer who gave him the laptop. Little did he know, the officer had been transferred to Naivasha GK prison the very same week.

“They mobilized DCI officers in Naivasha branch, who then raided the house of that cop and behold, they found a pistol dismantled and hidden in a diaper wrapping. A sense of relief washed over us. However, we had to go to court the next day. They asked for 10 days to do further investigations,” Derrick added.

The police officer suspected of murder was taken to Siaya Police Station. The next day Derrick and the two other men were taken to Siaya to identify the officer from a parade. Derrick and his “accomplices” were separately told to point out the man who sold them the electronics from a group of people. They did so one by one and they all pointed out the same officer.

Hope in the horizon

“I pointed out the guy and these two also pointed out the same guy. Things were starting to ease up now. There was one issue now, possession of stolen property charges,” he narrated.

DCI officers offered them a deal; they would be released if they agreed to testify in court. They did not hesitate and accepted the deal. While in court, the trio were shocked to discover that the suspected officer was being charged with 6 counts of murder.

“There is another witness, who this officer shot and left for dead but she survived. The lady owned an MPesa shop in Teso. I remember when we were being taken back to the cells, Kakamega based DCI officers were outside waiting to take him to Kakamega to answer for some other robbery with violence charges,” revealed Derrick.

In the end, Derrick and the two other suspects were released after 10 days. Since that day, Derrick says he never displays electronic items from other people in his shop. Second-hand things are preferred by most people because they are affordable. However, it’s important to know where the electronics came from to save yourself from similar ordeals.