Editor's Review

Raila said the country's judicial system is at times flawed 

ODM Party boss Raila Odinga has revealed his plans for the country's judicial system once elected as the president in August.

Speaking during Azimio's virtual rally on Friday, April 15, Raila reprimanded the country's judicial system for going after small and petty offenders instead of investing its energy in heavy political heavyweights and figures who are facing high profile corruption cases.

While making reference to the recent case of one Alvin Linus Chivondo, a young Kenyan who was fined Ksh100,000 with an alternative one-year jail term for shoplifting at Naivas stores, Raila said this clearly shows how flawed the country's judicial system can be at times.

He said the system is focusing its energies on small matters instead of focusing on high-profile cases that have stagnated in the courts.

“This is a very worrying case, it shows just how flawed our judicial system can be at times. the young man Alvin was just a petty offender but he was sentenced quite quickly yet we have persons facing graft cases. In most cases, they are not even arrested and when they are apprehended they get out of remand quickly,” noted Odinga.

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{Alvin Linus Chivondo was sentenced to one year in prison after being found guilty of shoplifting goods worth Sh3,000 from Naivas supermarket. Photo: Courtesy}

Raila said once elected, he will streamline the system to have it focus on matters of heavyweight and have all these cases heard and determined in the shortest time possible

He also promised that his administration will set free all petty offenders to create room for prosecution and sentencing of high-profile offenders to such correctional facilities.

"We have a lot of petty offenders in our prison but in the event, I clinch the presidency, I will free them and I will prioritize the arrest and sentencing of high profile gangsters,” added Raila

He raised concerns over scenarios where people with money have been arrested over corruption-related cases but released in just a day because they have money to buy their way out.

This comes just days after he called out on the judiciary for the harsh sentence meted on Chivondo. The young man was sentenced to 1-year imprisonment after he was found guilty of shoplifting goods worth Ksh3,000 from Naivas supermarket.

Luckily for him, the former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko came to his rescue and cleared the Ksh100,000 fine. Sonko also did some shopping for Chivondo and promised him a job at one of his Nairobi firms