House help charged with stealing employer's Sh6 million

A house help was on Friday charged with stealing Sh6 million from her employer's briefcase while she (employer) was away. 

Esther Wanjiru is accused of using a kitchen knife to cut the top part of the briefcase and successfully accessing the money belonging Zhu Yue, a Chinese National.

She allegedly committed the offence on May 20 at their Avit Apartment in Kileleshwa within Nairobi county.

She denied the charges before Kibera senior resident magistrate Faith Mutuku.

Wanjiru is alleged to have used the advantage of her employers’ absence to access the cash.

She had been given a verbal job appointment by the complainant and had not signed any formal documents to prove her employment as she was still on probation.

She had only worked for two weeks.

The accused, after stealing the money, disappeared from the home compound and when the complainant's husband came home he noticed the briefcase was wide open, the court heard.

He then informed his wife who then directed him to report the matter to Kileleshwa police station.

Efforts to reach Wanjiru began but her phone was switched off.

The police then tracked her at Uthiru but did not find her. They tracked her to Karatina but missed her again.

They then tracked her to Nanyuki and pursued her.

At Nanyuki, a car seller told them Wanjiru had just paid Sh620,000 for a vehicle but was yet to pick it.

She was arrested when she went to pick it up, during which she was found in possession of Sh800,000 in a bag.

The money will be used in court as exhibit.

The accused said that she was a serious businesswoman and asked the court to release her on lenient bond terms as "she was a mere house girl with no cash".

She was freed at Sh 800,000 bond and a cash bail of the same amount pending mentioning on June 6 and hearing on August 1. 

(Edited by R.Wamochie)