Now 58 years old, the farmer from Mumias, Kakamega County, says he spent 20 years in prison for a crime he has always insisted he never committed. To this day, he believes a simple act of kindness was misunderstood, ultimately costing him his freedom.
Basil recalls growing up in Kakamega, where he completed his primary education in 1988. In 1993, he moved to Nakuru in search of better opportunities and worked as a bread supplier for several years before returning to his rural home around the year 2000.
Determined to build a better future, he bought land, settled down, started a family, and earned a living through farming and small business. Life, he says, was finally taking shape.
But everything changed after a neighbour requested a favour.
According to Basil, the neighbour was travelling to visit his ailing mother and asked Basil and his wife to temporarily look after his children. Since the two families had known and trusted each other for years, they agreed without hesitation.
The following day, Basil says he checked on the children to ensure they were doing well. When he asked whether they had eaten, they told him they had only taken tea that morning and had nothing to prepare for lunch.
Wanting to help, Basil searched his pockets and found only KSh200.
He handed the money to one of the girls and instructed her to buy two eggs, cook something for the younger children, and return with the remaining change while he continued working on his farm.
He says he never imagined that the same money would later become a key piece of evidence in a criminal case against him.
According to Basil, prosecutors argued in court that the KSh200 was not meant for buying food but had been given to the child after he had allegedly assaulted her.
Basil has consistently denied the allegations, insisting that the money was purely intended to feed the children left under his care. He maintains that the case stemmed from a tragic misunderstanding of his actions.
Despite his defence, the court found him guilty and sentenced him to 20 years in prison.
The conviction dramatically altered the course of his life. While he remained behind bars, years slipped away, opportunities vanished, and precious moments with his family were lost forever.
Today, Basil reflects on his ordeal with deep sorrow, saying he still struggles to comprehend how an act he believed was one of compassion ended with him spending two decades in prison.
His story has sparked debate among many Kenyans, with some questioning how evidence was interpreted in the case, while others stress the importance of allowing the courts to determine guilt based on all the evidence presented during trial.
For Basil, however, one memory remains impossible to forget—a KSh200 note he says was meant to buy eggs and feed hungry children, but which he believes ultimately changed his life forever.
