Shoplifter Alvin Linus Chivondo freed; receives shopping, job offer from Sonko

Alvin Linus Chivondo, the man who was jailed for shoplifting, has been freed and awarded one month’s shopping by former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko.

Sonko, who on Wednesday cleared Chivondo’s Ksh.100,000 fine instituted by a Nairobi court, also sent his team to receive him after his release from Industrial Area Prison on Thursday.

The former county boss then received Chivondo in his office soon thereafter, where he fulfilled his earlier promise of giving him a month’s supply of food, before also offering him a job.

Sonko, in his usual controversial nature, revealed that he had purchased the items at the same supermarket where Chivondo had been arrested for shoplifting.

"Handing over the one-month food items stock to Mr. Alvin Chivindo who has just been freed from industrial area prison by my team after we managed to secure his freedom. Chivondo was jailed yesterday for stealing foodstuffs at Naivas," Sonko wrote on Twitter.

"Am happy the young man is now free. It's my hope he will be a responsible man. The shopping was done at the same supermarket where he was arrested after stealing the food items to feed his family."

He added: “We’ve offered Alvin Chivondo a job at our Upper Hill offices and our team  in the office has showed him what his job entails.”

Ex-Governor Mike Sonko hands over one month shopping to Alvin Linus Chivondo after securing his release from jail for shoplifting pic.twitter.com/BerSZNmxKx

Chivondo on Wednesday pleaded guilty to shoplifting charges leveled against him and was ordered to pay a Ksh.100,000 fine or serve one-year imprisonment.

The court heard that Chivondo stole 5 kgs of rice, honey, tea leaves, and sugar, all totaling Ksh. 3,165 from a Naivas supermarket.

According to reports, he posed as a customer, picking the items from the shelves, before packing them into a non-woven carrier bag.