Well-wishers raise fine for man jailed for stealing cabbage

In a rare show of kindness, well-wishers have come together and raised Sh10,000 to secure the release of a man who had been jailed for two months by an Eldama Ravine court for stealing a piece of cabbage worth Sh40.

Mr Robert Kihara found himself on the wrong side of the law after plucking the cabbage from a garden owned by the Mercy Mission Hospital in the Catholic Diocese of Nakuru where his brother serves as a priest.

The complainant, Fr Francis Mugo, who is his brother and the area Catholic priest, defended his action saying he had Kihara put behind bars as a way of rehabilitating him due to his "bad manners".

SOCIAL MEDIA

The story was shared on various local social media platforms and it attracted well-wishers who decided to bail him out.

The priest, who had come to witness the release on Tuesday, fled through the fence of Eldama Ravine court after realising that a crowd had gathered to witness the incident.

Those who mobilised support to secure Kihara’s release said they were not glorifying the offence, in as much as it was petty, but felt the man did not deserve the severe punishment.

“Together with a couple of friends, we decided to take it upon ourselves after we saw the story on social media a week ago.

“Nobody is cheering any criminality however petty it may seem,” said one of the well-wishers.

START AFRESH

The well-wishers further promised to help Kihara start life afresh as he had indicated that he is not ready to live in the same compound with his brother.

According to Mr Bemih Kanyonge, an advocate of the High Court, Mr Kihara had been convicted after he admitted to committing the offence in the case heard by Senior Magistrate Rhoda Yator on June 22.

Speaking after his release, Mr Kihara said he works as a casual labourer at the hospital and decided to harvest the cabbage and cook it but was arrested before he accomplished his mission.

He said he expected that his brother could come to his rescue but it never happened