A Nairobi house help identified as Violet Ndukweh Lijoodi was on Monday convicted for stealing a gold ring worth Ksh683,000 from her employer in Runda Estate.
Appearing before Milimani Law Courts, the suspect, in a sympathetic tearful tone, admitted to having stolen the ring and sold it off to a shopkeeper in Kawangware market to foot bills for her ailing father.
"To speak the truth, I took the gold ring and sold it at Ksh4 000," she tearfully confessed before the court. She subsequently pleaded guilty and begged to be released because her young children depend solely on her.
"I ask for forgiveness on behalf of my three children who depend on me," she pleaded adding that she has an ailing father. "I ask for forgiveness. I did not know the worth of the ring until I was told."
During the case hearing, the house help recounted how she opened her employer's bag and stole the gold ring before selling it.
She was arraigned in court together with Francis Mwima an accomplice who helped her sell the ring. Mwima denied all charges.
The case floows an earlier one two years ago where two house helps in Nairobi were arraigned in court for stealing three golden rings and money in May 2022.
The two, Ruth Kageha and Violet Aluse, allegedly stole three golden rings and money estimated to be Ksh36 million ($280,000).
The incident took place at Tipuwama Apartments in Karen, Nairobi. In this incident, only Ksh 3 million was recovered,
Following an intense seven-day search, the two were arrested in Bungoma and Nairobi counties.
Separately in the same year, another house help named Caroline Nabwire was accused of stealing valuable items including jewellery from her employer identified as Ventrapragada Nikhil.
The employer realised that some of her pieces of jewellery were missing when she was preparing for special prayers. She subsequently reported the matter to Parklands Police Station which led to the arrest of the suspect who pleaded guilty.
