NAIROBI, Kenya, May 21 — Alvin Linus Chivondo, a man who had been sentenced to a one-year jail term for shoplifting at a supermarket in April, has been re-arrested after committing a similar offense.
Police reports indicated Chivondo, was detained after he was arrested Friday having attempted to steal rice and cooking oil from a supermarket located along Ronald Ngala Street.
Chivondo, 22, got a reprieve after former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko bailed him out by settling the Sh100,00 fine set by the court.
Chivondo was sentenced after he pleaded guilty to stealing cooking oil.
The former Nairobi Governor also promised Chivondo a monthly stock of food in addition to a job.
During the sentencing, the prosecution counsel submitted that the suspect visited Naivas Development House shopping hall posing as a customer on April 10, 2022.
The 22-year-old is said to have proceeded to pick items from the shelves and placing them in a shopping basket.
According to the report, Chivondo picked a 5kg packet of rice, 1/2kg honey, 1/2kg tea leaves, 5 litres of cooking oil and 2kg sugar before he was intercepted at the exit by the staff manning the camera room as he attempted to escape without paying for the items.
He was later arrested, and the said items recovered.
While pleading for a lighter sentence the convict explained to the court that he was pushed to steal after his family went for three consecutive days without food.
Chivondo’s arrest and sentencing elicited mixed reactions among Kenyans and caught the attention of Azimio La Umoja One Kenya presidential candidate Raila Odinga who called for his unconditional release.
While commenting on Chivondo’s sentencing, Odinga argued that it was ironic that petty offenders were being imprisoned while other top criminals were roaming in the country freely.
“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,” Odinga said on April 13.
