Three men, who were allegedly caught selling stolen fish worth Sh30,000 at a bar in the Kayole area of Nairobi after stealing them from a matatu stop, have been charged with theft under section 268 (1) read with section 275 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
At the Makadara Magistrate’s Court, Jesse Mwangi, Paul Kimathi and Samuel Okello were charged with stealing the fish belonging to John Waithaka at Mihango stage on 17 May.
The three are also charged with handling stolen property contrary to Section 322 (1) (2) of the Penal Code after police allegedly found them selling the fish.
They are accused of dishonestly retaining a bag of fish in the course of stealing it, knowing or having reason to believe that it was stolen property.
Mr Waithaka had bought the fish at Gikomba open-air market and it was unloaded by a matatu crew at the Mihango stage in Kayole.
However, the bag containing the fish was stolen before he could collect it.
He was later informed by a man who had been hired by the three suspects to carry the fish for them on his handcart that he had taken the fish to an area in Soweto.
Mr Waithaka reported the matter to the Soweto police station, accompanied by the porter, who led the police to where he had taken the fish, and the three suspects were arrested for allegedly selling the fish.
Their accomplices escaped and police found some of the fish they were selling in a bar.
The three suspects were later brought to Kayole Police Station.
They denied the charges before Senior Principal Magistrate Agnes Mwangi.
They were released on cash bail of Sh15,000 each. The case will come up for mention on 18 July ahead of trial on 17 November this year.
