Courts are usually not places to ask for assistance, however, 57-year-old Florence Mwikali took the bold step and walked into a courtroom and sought help.
Inside the courtroom, she waited patiently as she braved pain for the day’s cases to be heard.
Mwikali, who is suffering from breast cancer, was afraid of approaching the magistrate whom she described as tough while delivering justice.
She stated that her courage to approach the magistrate was fading as she kept on thinking about the sentences he handed to suspects.
“I did not know how he would react when he hears that l was here to ask for help. l found out he had been trending and l wondered if he was the same person. l was getting afraid of asking for help,” she said.
Moments later after the court was done with the day’s matters, she raised her hand in an effort to attract the attention of the duty magistrate whom she referred to as the “philanthropic magistrate”.
Mombasa Senior principal magistrate Vincent Adet, who was about to leave his courtroom, took a few minutes and enquired if her case had not been called out.
In her frail voice, she informed the court that she was at the court for a different cause. She needed help to continue with her treatment for cancer because her NHIF card had run out of funds due to the expensive chemotherapy she was undergoing.
“Am here to ask for your assistance because I am suffering from cancer. I Googled and found out you are the magistrate that helps people. I am asking for your assistance to buy chemo medicines,” she pleaded.
She produced her treatment notes and handed them over to Adet.
The magistrate paid for her NHIF card and gave her cash to buy food.
Mwikali broke down in tears.
“Am so grateful l had just come here to see if it was true that he ( Adet) really helps people as it has been widely reported am touched history will remember you in a kind way,” she said.
Magistrate helped suspects
In October 2022, Adet made headlines when he bought three shirts for a suspect who appeared in court in torn clothes.
In May this year, Adet lead an impromptu fundraiser in court to support a couple that had been charged with stealing a bale of wheat flour.
The magistrate has also been hailed for Solomonic wisdom in his ruling as evident in a case where a sex worker was charged with assaulting a colleague for offering cheap rates.
Adet allowed the two sex workers two weeks to try and resolve the issue before he would then rule on the matter according to the law if they failed to reach an agreement.
