Violet Ndukwe and Francis Mwima were charged with stealing a gold ring worth Ksh 683,000 ($5,300) from Ndukwe’s employer.
The two were arraigned in Milimani Law Court on Monday, August 12, where Violet, a nanny and housekeeper working in the leafy suburbs of Runda Acacia Grove, Nairobi, confessed to having stolen her employer’s ring and pleaded guilty to the offence.
“Nisamehe kwasababu ya watoto wangu. I ask for forgiveness on behalf of my three children who depend on me,”
Violet Ndukwe.
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The complainant, a nurse named Norah Michelle, is a resident of Australia. According to the prosecution, Norah had travelled to Kenya to visit her family who lives in Nairobi.
She was accompanied by her two children and needed assistance with childcare, so she hired Violet as a house help.
Violet allegedly took advantage of her employer’s busy schedule and temporary residence to steal the ring from Norah’s clutch bag, thinking it was a trivial item, surrounded by such opulence.
“She came back after a few days and the complainant noticed that the bag which had the gold ring was missing,” the prosecution told the court.
Violet defended herself by stating she stole the ring worth over half a million only to care for her ailing father and was unaware of its value.
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Francis, identified by Violet as the alleged middleman and profiteer, purchased the ring for Ksh 4,000 —170 times less than its value— and denied all charges against him.
Violet pleaded with court to forgive her owing to her three children solely dependent on her.
“Nisamehe kwasababu ya watoto wangu. I ask for forgiveness on behalf of my three children who depend on me,”.
“Mimi sikuwa Najua. I did not know the worth of the ring until I was told,” Violet begged for mercy.
“To speak the truth, I took the gold ring and sold it at Ksh 4,000,” she confessed, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Francis’ defence requested bail, stating that after the embarrassment of being arrested at work, he wanted the chance to clear his name.
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“We pray for lenient bail terms and the court is at liberty to grant any further orders,” his lawyer submitted.
Milimani Magistrate, Rose Ndumbi, granted Francis a cash bail of Ksh 500,000. The case will be mentioned on September 5.
House help scandals and insider jobs in Nairobi have been prevalent, with a prominent case in 2022 involving Nelson Ributhi Gaichuhie, the then Chief Administrative Secretary for the National Treasury and Planning Ministry.
Miriam, his former house help, stole KSh 4 million and jewellery worth Ksh 500,000 from their Karen residence.
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