Violet Ndukwe Lijoodi, a 28-year-old househelp, has been convicted for stealing a gold ring valued at KSh 683,000 from her employer.
The ring belonged to Norah Mitchell Were, an Australia-based nurse who was on holiday in Runda, Nairobi.
Lijoodi admitted to stealing the ring between August 3 and 8, 2024.
During her court appearance, she confessed to Magistrate Rose Ndobi that she had taken the ring from Were’s bag while working at her employer’s residence.
The househelp revealed that she sold the stolen ring for just KSh 4,000 at Kawangware market, far below its true value.
The prosecution outlined that Were, who was staying with a relative in Runda, discovered the ring missing and reported it to the authorities.
Lijoodi’s confession came after she was arrested on August 8, 2024. She admitted to selling the ring to a second-hand dealer while on her days off, not realizing the true worth of the item she had taken.
In court, Lijoodi, visibly distressed, pleaded for mercy, explaining her dire financial situation. She revealed that she had sold the ring to cover medical expenses for her ailing father and to support her three children.
Lijoodi expressed regret and apologized to her employer, stating that she had not understood the ring’s significance until it was too late.
Francis Mwima, 35, was also charged in connection with the case but denied the accusations and was released on a bond of KSh 1 million.
Lijoodi remains in custody until a pre-sentence report is prepared, with her next court appearance scheduled for September 5, 2024.
