Lessons from Prison 3

Today’s post can as well be named ‘Curses Galore’ as I am talking about council by law enforcers. It of course will include other rogue law enforcers.

Let me put John the Baptist’s admonition to the law enforcers of his day.

And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages. (Luke 3:14)

Again I will borrow heavily my prison experience.

What happens to the hawkers merchandise when they get arrested?

A friend was talking of his experience in a council car under arrest with all sort of stuff at night. They were told to eat all they could and dress as best as they could from the loot as they could take nothing away. And we are talking about people’s investment and capital.

But that is even better as it at least spreads the wealth in a very small way to other arrested before they can buy their freedom, of course by paying their ‘deliverance’ fee.

Another friend told me that he left Nairobi because all his capital was confiscated by the arresting officers and he was therefore unable to raise capital again.

For people who are struggling to make ends meet, is that not akin to forced poverty, if not outright theft? Yet the officers are enriching themselves with people at the bottom of the ‘food chain’.

I was in prison with a person who was arrested as he was coming from the market to purchase his stock. What do you think God feels when you falsely send someone to prison after stealing all his stock?

It is interesting that though there were many hawkers in court that day, I did not see any exhibit at all. Is there an agreement between those thieves and magistrate that no evidence is required in that court? Remember I said that anyone who challenged his charges, especially with documentary evidence was sent to prison remand for two weeks, or was required to pay cash bail five to ten times the fine he would have paid had he pleaded guilty. And he would have to spend more time in prison as his case proceeded; by what time the person who admitted guilt would have long gone home even if he had been unable to pay the small fine. Of course none of those cases have any evidence if anyone wants to spend their time and money defending themselves. Again like was my experience, they will arrest you and then think of what to charge you with. Imagine being guilty of a crime you are unaware of! Yet that is the reality of council askaris.

I was told of this middle aged man in a suit and tie who was charged with hawking potatoes when he refused to talk nicely to them.

Is it right to arrest at will? Is it right to arrest without verifying whether the ‘criminal’ is guilty?

I ask this because I heard of a woman waiting for a friend arrested and charged of soliciting for prostitution in one of those swoops and no amount of explaining could free her. Is it criminal to stand on the pavement? All the while as actual prostitutes line whole streets barely dressed and are not arrested any time of the day or night.

Should freedom be for sale?

I write this as a warning. Such conduct is a magnet to curses, curses that will run through whole lineages, curses that will destroy everything you have built.

Why do I say so?

How many tears are shed by people you have forcefully deprived of their livelihood? How many children are crying because they slept hungry or dropped out of school because of what you took?

When I was being booked into prison, they got to know that I am a minister. Then the council office who had brought us was surprised.

Why did you not tell us you were a minister when you were arrested? He asked me.

You did not ask me, was my response.

Why do they not wilfully arrest ministers?

Chances are that they fear spiritual repercussions of doing so. Maybe they have done it once and been blighted. Judgment from heaven can be swift. And some ministers are very vengeful with all that spiritual authority.

But framing someone has repercussions, even if is a criminal you are framing. You see, stealing from a thief does not clear you of theft. Doing so because the law is on your side is even worse. Remember Nathan’s confrontation of David after his cocktail of sins? Look at this verse.

Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 18:10)

That is not a minister, mark you. It might not even be the person you arrested. It could just be the child suffering from the consequences of your flaunting of the authority the law gives you.

I am therefore using my position as a minister to serve a notice to you. You are not going far. Judgment is already at the door.

And it cuts across the board. From the magistrate who judges according to their moods to those who hide files to ensure someone goes to jail to prosecutors who prepare fake charge sheets to the one who takes a small bribe to not arrest an innocent person.

And I am not saying it is sin to do your job. But arrest the guilty. That is your job. And make sure you return their property once they serve their sentence. Unless the judgment says confiscate. And even then transfer the loot, all of it to the government. Be allergic to what does not come from your sweat. And taking by force is not the kind of sweat I am talking about. Otherwise you will be judged very harshly. And there will be no escape.

Otherwise you will suffer; with your posterity. God will never let you go unpunished. All those properties you own will be marked for worse than the demolitions we are seeing because it is God who will be doing the judging.