A middle-aged woman has been sentenced to three months imprisonment if she cannot pay a fine of Sh5, 000, for allegedly cheating the court to be HIV positive when charges of selling alcohol were being read against her.
Teresa Nyaboke, from Marani District was arrested on January 7 with 40 liters of alcohol, commonly known as kangara, and charged for selling illegal alcohol.
When she was asked why she carried out the illegalized business, she left the court in surprise when she claimed to be suffering from HIV, and has eight children whom her late husband left her with and therefore, she conducts the business to enable her fend for them.
“My husband died and now I have eight children whom I am taking care of. Also am HIV positive together with my last born,” claimed Nyaboke.
She was told to submit papers to authenticate claims on her health status, but upon failing to bring them, she was handed jail punishment if she cannot manage to pay the fine.
“Because you told the court yesterday that you are HIV positive and because you have no prove for that, I therefore fine you Sh5000 or send you to jail, where you will serve a three month punishment so that others may learn from this,” read a sitting judge in Kisii Law Court on Friday.