Two cooks at Nairobi Primary School who stole assorted foodstuffs worth Sh3000 will serve six months in prison or pay a fine of Sh20,000.
Mr Musyoka Kalola and Mr Fred Nyakundi were convicted after pleading guilty to charges of stealing two packets of maize flour, two kilograms of green grams, two kilograms of sugar and two kilograms of beans.
Other items that the two admitted stealing include one kilogramme of salt, assorted soap bars, four loaves of bread, one and a half kilogramme of meat, seven onions, 23 tomatoes and one batch of ripped bananas which came to their possession by virtue of their employment.
During the incident that happened on May 24, 2022, the two are reported to have packed the stolen items in sacks and boxes.
The accused persons pleaded guilty to the charges before Senior Resident Magistrate Mwaniki Kamau of Kibera Law Courts.
The court heard that on the material day, the school’s head, Mr Munyao Mbondo, visited the kitchen and found the items in the cooks’ changing room. He summoned the school’s catering officer to the room as a witness.
When the three were asked to explain the circumstances under which they had packed the items they failed to give a satisfactory explanation. The headteacher then called officers at Kileleshwa police station who visited the scene, took an inventory and arrested the suspects.
The school had experienced theft of foodstuffs which prompted Mr Mbondo to check on the kitchen.
In mitigation, the accused persons pleaded for leniency. They said they stole the foodstuff to feed their families and pleaded with the court to consider that they have families that are fully dependent on them.
