Seemingly, good deeds have started overwhelming bad ones in our society. A Technical University of Mombasa student has stunned many after he launched a search for the owner of a phone he collected in a matatu.
Benjamin Kola collected a smartphone that had an Identity Card between its back cover and casing, which belonged to one Paul Odhiambo, a Magongo resident.
The Bachelor of Science Biomedical Engineering student at TUM was heading to college Tuesday morning when he boarded a matatu and found the phone below his seat.
He first asked those aboard the matatu before opening the phone case and finding Paul’s ID which he shared online asking those who know him to get in touch.
The student then wrote a post on his Facebook that was shared more 500 times giving his contact and asking the owner of the ID to get in touch.
Odhiambo, who was on his way to a shop when he lost the phone, had reported the loss to matatu touts at the stage where he boarded the matatu but they discouraged him telling him to find another one.
“I replaced my Safaricom line and started using an old phone that I usually have in the house. Moments later my sister called asking if I had lost my phone, I asked her how she knew that and she informed me that there was a post online that had my ID. She sent me the number of the guy who had the phone and on calling I found he was mteja but I texted him,” Odhiambo narrated.
Benjamin later called Odhiambo and asked him to describe his phone and when it was evident he was the owner, they planned a meet up at Magongo in the morning.
“I had no doubt that he would give me the phone as he had cooperated all through our communication until we met at around 8am. He never even asked for anything but because he had mentioned that he was a student I felt it was important to reward his honesty,” Odhiambo said.
“Paul’s family and friends had contacted me before he called and so when he called it was easy to establish whether he was the owner. When we met he gave me Sh1,000 which I appreciated as I did not expect anything in return,” Benjamin said.