Only in Africa: 70 Year Old Thief Blames Witchcraft for His Kleptomania

A 70-year-old Kenyan man was recently caught shoplifting. He was caught stealing two bottles of Nivea Nourish lotion from a Naivas supermarket along Jogoo Road. The man, Edward Macharia appeared before a Makadara court and confessed to the crime. The lotions stolen, each 400ml valued at Sh 1,720. Macharia will serve a three-year probation sentence for the offense committed on September 20.

According to the prosecution, the supermarket manager and the CCTV operator were on duty when they witnessed the accused shoplifting. Macharia picked up a shopping basket and headed straight to the aisle holding the lotions. He took two Nivea For Men and hid them in his heavy jacket and proceeded to pick Sh10 Kensalt to check out.

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As he was about to leave, the CCTV operator raised the alarm and the manager rushed to the door and block him from leaving. He was arrested and escorted to Jogoo police station by the manager. In court, Macharia blamed witchcraft for the offence saying that someone from his village bewitched him.

In August, the same Macharia was sentenced for the theft of lotion from the same supermarket.“I am very sorry for the offence and I cannot tell why I keep stealing the same kind of lotion from the same supermarket,” Macharia told the court. In an attempt to avoid justice, he promised to go back to his village if the court forgave him. That did not happen.