A 28-year-old man was fined Sh70,000 by a Kenol court on Monday for possessing 90 grams of bhang, valued at Sh1,000. Peter Kariuki Irungu appeared before Resident Magistrate Jackinda Rennah.
He was found with 150 grams of unprocessed bhang and materials for making bhang rolls on August 31 in the Itaaga area of Maragua constituency.
The arrest followed a tip-off to the Itaaga sub-location assistant chief and Kamumu location chief, who were on patrol. Acting on the information, they searched Irungu’s rented house and discovered the bhang-making materials hidden in a red bag inside his mattress.
According to the prosecutor, Brian Ng’ang’a, the materials included two wrapping papers, commonly known as flags, used for making bhang rolls.
Irungu was arrested, taken to Itaaga police patrol base, and later presented at Kenol law courts. He pleaded guilty and asked the court for leniency, promising not to repeat the offense.
The court convicted him based on his guilty plea, imposing a fine of Sh70,000 or, in default, a seven-month prison sentence. He was given the right to appeal within 14 days.
