Judge praised after organizing a fundraiser in court to save 19-yr-old woman

A Mombasa magistrate on Tuesday proved that not all heroes wear capes when he went out of his way to save a 19-year-old Kenyan woman from going to jail.

Shanzu Senior Resident Magistrate Patrick Odhiambo  surprised court attendees when he held an impromptu fundraiser to help the young woman charged with theft raise compensation for two hair weaves she had stolen from a Mtwapa supermarket.

Magistrate Odhiambo asked court attendees to voluntarily contribute at least Sh100 to go towards compensating the supermarket for two hair weaves worth Sh1,140.

This came after Ms. Chelagat pleaded guilty to a shoplifting charge. The accused said she envied women who sported good-looking weaves, but she could not afford the synthetic hair due to financial problems.

Chelagat stole the weaves from the Mtwapa supermarket on July Sunday, 21.

“I wanted to look beautiful like other women. So, I went to the supermarket, looked around and saw the weaves that my friends often wear. Upon looking at the price tag, I was heartbroken that I couldn’t afford the two pieces. Left with no other choice, I stole the products,” Chelagat told the court amid tears.

The suspect, in her mitigation, further told the magistrate that poverty “made it hard for her to properly groom herself”.

“I was raised in poverty. When I came to town, I would see women sporting good hair and wearing quality make-up. I have tried to look as beautiful as my friends, but lack of money makes that impossible,” said Chelagat.

William Bosire, a lawyer, gave out Sh2,000 to rescue the woman from serving a 2-year jail term or paying a fine of Sh50,000.

Senior Resident Magistrate Odhiambo set Chelagat free and, thereafter, asked the investigating officer to return the stolen weaves to the Mtwapa supermarket, and Bosire’s money be given to the accused “to buy a weave and food to eat”.

The humane gesture by the judge has sparked huge debate from Kenyans who took to social media to heap praise on Odhiambo.

Here are some of the reactions:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *