A Nairobi woman, Carolyne Wanjiru Munene, has been charged with stealing flight tickets worth more than Ksh 4.1 million from her employer, African Touch Safaris Limited. The alleged theft, involving twenty-one distinct airline tickets, is said to have occurred over a two-month period while Munene worked for the company as a servant.
Appearing before a Nairobi court, Munene faced a single count of stealing by servant, contrary to Section 281 of the Penal Code. The complainant, Rosemary Kaittany, represents African Touch Safaris Limited, a tour and travel company based at ACK Garden House in Nairobi.
The accused was accompanied by her legal team comprising advocates Danstan Omari, Shadrack Wambui, and Stanley Kinyanjui, who are expected to mount a strong defence on her behalf.
According to the particulars of the offence, the theft was not an isolated incident but a sustained series of actions allegedly committed between November 12, 2019, and January 9, 2020. The prosecution claims that Munene stole twenty-one airline tickets, each identified by its serial number, with a total value of Ksh 4,127,920. These tickets, the court heard, were the property of African Touch Safaris Limited and came into Munene’s possession by virtue of her employment.
The offence of stealing by servant carries heavier penalties than ordinary theft because it involves a breach of trust between an employer and their employee. The prosecution intends to rely on financial records and testimony from the complainant to demonstrate that Munene misappropriated the tickets while working for the company.
Court records show that Munene was arrested and arraigned, after which the matter was adjourned to a later date. The prosecution has listed Rosemary Kaittany as the primary witness, whose testimony will be central to the case. The defence team is expected to challenge the evidence presented by the prosecution, including the valuation of the tickets and the chain of custody linking them to the accused.
The court’s next task will be to determine whether the prosecution has established a prima facie case sufficient to place Munene on her defence. If convicted, she could face substantial penalties, including imprisonment and restitution orders.
The court is expected to set a hearing date for the full trial in the coming weeks.
