Stealing from rich to give poor

I come from a region rich in gold, yet my community faces significant hardships. A small number of wealthy individuals enjoy lavish lifestyles, benefiting immensely from the gold mines in our area. If I were to steal from these affluent individuals to aid the poorer members of my community, would I be committing an offence? I believe my actions would be justified since I want to help those in need. Please provide guidance on this matter.
NM, Mbeya

Your questions reminded us of the tale of Robin Hood, a figure who stole from the rich to feed the poor. While this act may be seen as noble and justified due to the disparity between the rich and the poor, it is still considered a crime. According to Section 265 of the Penal Code, Cap. 16 [R.E 2022], any person who steals anything capable of being stolen is guilty of theft and is liable unless, owing to the circumstances of the theft or the nature of the thing stolen, some other punishment is provided, to imprisonment for 7 years. There is no justification for theft simply because the theft was committed to help the poor and you should not try to turn yourself into Robin Hood, an outlaw hero, otherwise you will end up in jail.

Having said the above, a person convicted of theft may use the reasoning of helping the poor as a mitigating factor to potentially reduce their sentence. We have not encountered any cases where this strategy has been successfully used to mitigate a sentence. Nonetheless, we believe that Courts may take into account the motive behind the theft, which was to assist the poor, and could possibly impose a lighter sentence, but you will certainly be sentenced. That said, any mitigation must still adhere to the laws and sentencing guidelines. While it is admirable to want to help others, we advise you to remain a law-abiding citizen and explore alternative ways to assist the poor, such as fundraising, engaging in charity work, or other lawful activities. Your lawyer can provide further guidance in these endeavours.