Kenyans are raising funds for a man who was on Wednesday sentenced to jail for a year or pay a Sh100,000 fine for shoplifting.
Alvin Chivondo is accused of stealing foodstuff worth Sh3,165 from a Naivas supermarket.
The goods included 5kgs of rice, 5 litres of cooking oil and 2kgs of sugar.
Shortly after his sentencing, ODM party leader Raila Odinga called for the immediate release of Mr Chivondo.
Read: Naivas Family Tussle Comes to an End after Appellate Court Settles Nine-year Row
The presidential hopeful wondered why a petty offender was getting jail time yet criminals are getting a reprieve to campaign.
“Let Alvin Linus Chivondo be released unconditionally! Criminals are now getting a reprieve to campaign freely, while petty offenders are being jailed,” Raila tweeted.
The former prime minister was referring to DPP Noordin Haji’s recent decision to halt corruption cases against governors and members of parliament until after the August polls.
“We don’t want to be accused of making decisions based on political leanings,” Haji said.
Read Also: Naivas in Family Tussle for Sh6 Billion Stake Sale
When it came to punishing Chivondo, Raila accused the courts of being out of touch with the country’s economic predicament.
Kenya’s cost of living has risen dramatically, with prices of staples such as cooking oil, bread, and sugar skyrocketing.
“Let the courts get their priorities right, for once, you can’t jail a man for trying to feed his family,” Raila added.
Let Alvin Linus Chivondo be released unconditionally!.
Criminals are now getting a reprieve to campaign freely, while petty offenders are being jailed.
Let the courts get their priorities right, for once, you can't jail a man for trying to feed his family. pic.twitter.com/64DKaFo6It
— Raila Odinga (@RailaOdinga) April 13, 2022
As a result, comedian YY called on Kenyans to rally behind Chivondo and help raise the fine.
As of 7 p.m, well-wishers had contributed close to Sh30,000.
But former Nairobi governor Mike Sonko settled the fine and pledged to offer Mr Chivondo a job and a month’s supply of foodstuff.
“Majority of Kenyans are languishing in poverty even to afford a daily meal for their families is a problem, it is because of this reason that I decided to pay the court fine for Mr. Alvin Linus Chivondo who was sentenced to one year imprisonment for stealing cooking oil tea leaves, Dawaat rice and a bottle of honey.
“In his mitigation Alvin pleaded for leniency and told the court he lost his job two months ago and he has a four months baby, they had not eaten for four days,” said Sonko.
He also urged critics not to politicize the matter as he was not seeking political mileage by helping the convict.
“Haters should not politicise Alvin’s case as I’m not paying his fine to seek for any political mileage.”
Majority of Kenyans are languishing in poverty even to afford a daily meal for their families is a problem, it is because of this reason that I decided to pay the court fine for Mr. Alvin Linus Chivondo who was sentenced to one year imprisonment for stealing cooking oil.. pic.twitter.com/2Cn2gd4s7B
— Mike Sonko (@MikeSonko) April 13, 2022
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