A matatu driver based in Thika town shocked many when he returned Ksh20,000 and a laptop belonging to a university student.
Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke, Basilio Kimani confirmed the incident. He stated that the student by the name Ian Gitau had boarded his matatu on Sunday, September 5, at Blue Post and was headed to Mount Kenya University (MKU).
Kimani recalled that the student, who had sat with him in the front seat of the matatu, alighted the vehicle without his backpack. He resorted to opening the student's bag in a bid to find a way to contact the student.
That was when he found an envelope in the bag containing Ksh20,000 in cash. Also, in the bag was a laptop, a charger and some of the students' clothes.
"I opened the bag to see if there was something I could use to contact him. I came across the envelope containing the money," he revealed.
Kimani then stated that he took the envelope containing the money and kept it safe with him and handed over the bag containing the laptop to the Sacco offices. He explained that he only trusted himself with the money.
The student later explained that he left his bag when he alighted the matatu. He disclosed that he had two bags, one in the trunk and one at the front of the vehicle.
As he went to collect his other bag from the trunk, he proceeded to school, leaving the other bag containing his school fees, laptop and some of his clothes. He tried looking for the matatu at the stage and even went ahead to report the matter to the police.
Gitau, accompanied by his mother Lucy Wanjiru, began trailing the matatu on September 6. When they went to the police station, officers asked if they had the vehicles number plate or even the name of the Sacco, which they did not.
They spent the entire day combing through the matatus and even went to the offices of matatu Saccos but all in vain.
However, with the only thing that he could remember about the matatu he had boarded, the student managed to narrow down his search. The matatu he boarded had curtains, a uniqueness Basilio mentioned.
"Luckily, the student was able to remember that my matatu had curtains. That was the only thing he could remember, and that is what led him to me," he stated.
The MKU student and his mother were then directed to KST Sacco offices, where they were given the bag containing the laptop. Without mentioning the money, they asked for the driver's phone number.
Kimani asked the students some questions concerning the content of the envelope to confirm that he was the rightful owner. Once this was done, he asked the pair to give him 20 minutes to deliver the money.
To their disbelief, the driver arrived at the offices and handed them the envelope them containing the full amount. What stood out about his actions is that on that particular day, he had not made much.
In a post by Wanjiku, she described him as a man of God and showered him with praise. Although she was not in a position to better thank the driver, she asked his employers to at least promote him for his act of nobility.
