This archive report was first published on 29 October 2021.
Published on October 29, 2021, a Nairobi court has handed down a sentence to a businessman who stole petrol worth Ksh5,000 from a petrol station in Yaya Center.
Evans Kwoko Mwendwa, a Nairobi-based businessman, pleaded guilty to stealing petrol worth Ksh5,000 from Ola Kilimani petrol station in Yaya Center. He was ordered to pay Ksh10,000 or serve three months in jail.
According to court documents, Mwendwa drove into the petrol station on October 11, 2021, at 10pm in a black Toyota land cruiser V8. He fueled and drove off without paying, pretending to pay using a money transfer.
After reviewing the CCTV footage, the station's manager reported the matter to the police, who also visited the scene and reviewed the footage. Mwendwa was later arrested and presented in court, where he pleaded guilty to the offence.
While the incident may seem unusual, it highlights the economic challenges faced by Kenyans, particularly with the recent increase in fuel prices. The Energy Petroleum and Regulatory Authority (EPRA) raised pump prices by an average of Ksh9.5 in September, leading to higher prices for super petrol, diesel, and kerosene.
