That a good number of Kenyans live below the poverty line and cannot afford two basic meals in a day is without a doubt! and the situation is only getting dire by the day as the cost of living coupled with increased poverty rates occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic reaches an all-time high.

A few weeks ago a depressing story of a young woman, shared in an interview with former Tuko TV host Lynn Ngugi, broke the internet. Maureen Njoki, pushed by extreme poverty that would see her, her husband, and their two children go to bed on empty stomachs, had to make the tough choice last year, to travel to Saudi Arabia for work. She left her two sons; a barely 3-year-old and a 5-year-old in what she thought was a safe haven; her friend and a former teacher to the eldest son.

Sadly did Njoki know that the woman she entrusted her children with, would end up brutalizing them, to the extent of killing her lastborn.

“Had I known that this is how things would turn out, I would have stayed here with my children. It would have been better to see them die of starvation than this painful death my child faced,” a tearful Njoki said regrettably.

Such heartbreaking stories where poverty is pushing wananchi to extremes have become the order of the day in the country!

Alvin Linus Chivondo

This week a 21-year-old Alvin Linus Chivondo has broken the internet as well after he was arrested for shoplifting food items worth Ksh3,165 in a Nairobi supermarket. The offence has seen him sentenced to one year in jail or a fine for KSH 100,000.

In his mitigation, he told the court that his young family had slept hungry for 3 days and he couldn’t take it anymore.

“I have a four-month-old baby your honour and I couldn’t feed my family since I lost my job,” he said.

Chivondo’s case has sparked a public uproar and leaders including Raila Odinga have

Called on the court to release him unconditionally.

Former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has offered to pay the 100,000 fine for Alvin Chivondo, give him a job and in the meantime buy provide one-month worth of foodstuff.

“Majority of Kenyans are languishing in poverty even to afford a daily meal for their families is a problem, it is because of this reason that I decided to pay the court fine for Mr. Alvin Linus Chivondo who was sentenced to one-year imprisonment for stealing cooking oil,” Sonko said.

Below are some of the reactions from Kenyans on Twitter;

HON. FLORENCE OUMA: Kenya’s Justice system is grossly compromised. Our courts are so quick to jail/sentence petty offenders like Alvin Linus Chivondo while KEMSA, NYS, Arror and Kimwarer billionaires get off scot-free.

Jame: Alvin Linus Chivondo jailed for stealing food. DPP Haji : No graft charges for governors, Mps. Not forgetting some are accused of embezzling Millions if not Billions. Being poor is a Crime in this country.

Sam: This Kenyan was hungry, Naivas should drop the charges. Free Alvin Linus Chivondo.

I am Chero: Our Kenyan courts are so quick to sentence petty offenders look at Alvin Linus Chivondo case but then we have politicians who have looted millions of money and nothing is done #Justiceforpeasants