Mark Mukhwana appeared in court on May 9, to face charges of stealing roasted groundnuts valued at Sh6000.

The groundnuts belonged to his employer, Jane Wanjiru Mburu, who operates a retail shop in Ngara, Nairobi. Mark works as a cook for Ms. Mburu and roasts the groundnuts in a charcoal burner.

During his appearance before Milimani Resident Magistrate Ben Mark Ekhubi, Mr. Mukhwana admitted to the charges, explaining that he needed money to travel home to check on his ailing mother.

He stated, “Circumstances forced me to steal the groundnuts from my employer. I needed to travel home to attend to my sick mother.” He further elaborated, “My mother has been ill for a week, and due to lack of resources, she hasn’t been able to seek medical attention. I intended to use the proceeds from the stolen groundnuts to travel home and purchase medication for her.”

Mr. Mukhwana also mentioned that the then doctors’ strike had exacerbated his mother’s condition, as she was unable to receive basic healthcare services.

In response, the Magistrate instructed the probation department to investigate the validity of Mr. Mukhwana’s claims regarding his mother’s illness before making a judgment in the case on May 16.