At 19 years old, Fatima Idd had a vision for her future: to complete university, secure a well-paying job, and eventually marry the love of her life. However, her fortunes took a turn for the worse after a chance encounter with a wealthy Kenyan businessman..
During an interview with Inooro TV, Fatima recounted how the businessman exploited her naivety to engage in the illegal importation of goods and vehicle theft.
Originally from Tanga City in Tanzania, Fatima came to Kenya in 2019 to spend her university break with her aunt. She was drawn to Kenya’s beautiful landscapes.
During her stay, she met a Kenyan man who lived near the border of the two countries. He portrayed himself as a businessman operating between Kenya and Tanzania.
[This video is in both Swahili and Gikuyu languages]The two developed a friendship that evolved into a relationship. However, even after months, Fatima was unaware of her boyfriend’s specific business dealings.
“I spent nine months with him. He would send me to Tanzania to collect goods from his contacts. He warned me not to mention his name to the dealers, and I complied. I would meet the contact, follow instructions, and then deliver the goods to a specific location,” she explained.
Arrest and Charges
“One day, my boyfriend returned home at 5:00 am, and four hours later, several police officers arrived and demanded to see the man of the house,” Fatima recounted.
“I told them he was asleep. They instructed me to wake him up. The officers questioned me about whether I knew that my boyfriend was involved in theft, to which I said no. They searched the house and found fake number plates hidden inside. Despite my protests of innocence, I was arrested along with my boyfriend.”
Confused and scared, Fatima pleaded guilty to the charges against her without fully understanding the consequences.
“The following week, I appeared in court alone as my boyfriend was not present. To this day, I have not seen him again,” she said.
“I pleaded guilty to charges of robbery with violence, stealing motor vehicles, among others. I still regret my decision to plead guilty because I was innocent. I was sentenced to 59 years in prison and also received a death sentence.”
Fatima, who was only 19 at the time, felt her life was over. With her family in Tanzania unaware of her situation, she reflected on her choices that led to her current predicament.
She urged young people to make wise decisions to avoid ending up behind bars.
