Cases involving women or girlfriends 'eating' fare from their boyfriends are not handled in small claims court.
Tabitha Wanjiku Mbugua, an Eldoret Small Claims Court adjudicator, confirmed this.
Ms. Mbugua said during the Uasin Gishu National Police annual thanksgiving at Eldoret Central Police station garden on Sunday that since the court's establishment in Eldoret, some men have approached the court to file complaints about women who 'eat their fare' and fail to show up.
"I sympathize with men who lose money to their female friends who eat their fare instead of honoring their invite; some of these men have even approached my court for help, but, unfortunately, my court cannot compel such women to pay back the fare. The law governing the jurisdiction of small claims courts does not permit me to rule on that.
Ms. Mbugua, a senior Resident Magistrate, encouraged both men and women involved in such cases to trust.
The magistrate also stated that the small claims court cannot assist in claiming fees paid to a witch doctor if the charms fail to work as promised.
He informed Kenyans seeking the services of witch doctors that the fees paid to sorcerers could not be recovered in court because conventional law does not recognize the existence of witchcraft.
"These claims that you paid a witch and the charms did not work are not admissible in our court. When charms fail to work after paying for services, that is the end of your services, and if you want your money back, settle it with your witch doctor, not our small claims court," Ms. Mbogua explained.
Ms. Mbogua stated that the judiciary, in collaboration with all stakeholders, will launch a series of awareness campaigns in North Rift to educate residents about the operations of small claims courts.
We will continue to educate Kenyans on the operations of small claims courts so that they can understand the types of claims we assist our clients in filing.
She also stated that the court allows the debtor to decide how the debt will be paid.
She warned Kenyans not to rely on social media for information about court operations, instead seeking proper information through the Court Users Committee (CUC) and judiciary information desks in all courts nationwide.
In July 2022, false information about a woman fined Sh23,000 for 'eating fare' went viral.
The judiciary was forced to speak out on the issue and condemn fake news.
According to the fabricated report, the woman was fined Sh23,000 for failing to attend her lover's birthday party.
According to the report, the woman was supposed to attend a birthday party but missed it and turned off her phone.
According to social media, the woman was fined heavily for failing to visit her boyfriend despite being sent a bus fare.
The judiciary quickly clarified that the report was false and advised Kenyans to disregard it.
Kenyans on social media had mixed feelings about the report.
Former Nairobi Governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko was one of the Kenyans who succumbed to fake news.
"I had no idea you could sue a woman for eating your fare and have your money refunded with interest; if this had happened when I was younger, I would have sued 5000 women," Sonko said in response to the fake report.
'Eating fare' is slang for when a man or woman sends money to a partner to visit him or her, only to fail to appear.
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