When you tell a Kenyan that a lady was imprisoned for dragging her suitcase in public, or another for preaching in town, they will confidently disagree with you. What they need is maybe to experience such cases at a personal level.
Kenyans, especially those in Nairobi, have found themselves serving jail terms owing to either their ignorance of the law or common city dweller's arrogance.
Many of them do not know what the law says, and make mistakes unaware of the consequences. Others know what the law states but still take these issues lightly, and at a time when they least expect, trouble befalls them.
Kenyans.co.ke has compiled such petty cases so that you won’t just be surprised in case the law catches up with you.
1. Insulting
A Kibera woman was given a three months jail sentence for insulting her neighbour. The argument erupted just because she was not comfortable with how her neighbor poured water on the drainage.
She got annoyed, insulted her neighbour, who in turn did not take the insults well. She decided that the matter would be handled in court. The insulting individual was caught by surprise after she was slapped with a three-month jail term.
2. Shouting in Public
You see people shouting at the bus stop, and sometimes you feel irritated but there is nothing you can do about it. Well, one police officer could not take it, and sued a man for making too much noise in public.
The man, who was shouting while heading to the bar, was jailed for causing disturbance in public.
3. Preparation
Sometimes you make a plan but then change your mind midway. Three men planned a robbery, but decided not to carry on with the crime because they feared the repercussions.
They, however, got into trouble after neighbors confirmed that they were planning a robbery, filed a complaint and the three landed three years in prison, with hard labour.
4. 'Eating Fare'
‘Eating fare’ is the norm right now, and no one thinks that this can be a serious issue. However, one Kilifi man was arrested and jailed for eating fare sent to him by another man.
He pretended to be a woman, asked for fare from Kilifi to Siaya, but after failing to show up, the man who thought he had won a jackpot realised that the man had masqueraded to be a beautiful woman.
5. Inappropriate Touching
Very recently, a Nairobi man was hit with a one-year jail term for touching his neighbors buttocks.
As he walked around thinking that it was a non-issue, shock befell him after his neighbor was very offended for being touched inappropriately. He took the matter to court, and the neighbour was given a one-year jail term.
6. Threatening
When you walk around telling people ‘nitakuua (I'll kill you),’ you may take it as a joke, but some people believe that this life is not a rehearsal, and won’t take chances.
A man had to serve three years in prison after he lightly told a neighbour that he would kill him. The neighbour did not take this lightly, filed a report with the police and even after the accused pleaded not guilty, the judge said that threatening to kill is against the law and shall not be tolerated.
7. Stepping on Clothes
The most interesting case is where a man was jailed for stepping on his neighbor’s trouser. As lame as it seems, the neighbor was offended since she washed her trouser and hanged it.
It fell down by mistake, and after her neighbour stepped on it, she got offended and filed a report with the police, and that’s how the man landed in prison.
