A middle-aged man, Bernard Waiguru Mwangi, has been sentenced to a fine of Kshs 50 million or a 30-year prison term after being found guilty of drug trafficking by a Nyahururu court. Mwangi was convicted for possession and trafficking of 1,422 kilograms of cannabis sativa, valued at Kshs 41 million, in violation of Section 4(ii) of the Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Amendment Act of 2022.
The drugs were discovered on January 18 at Kigumo village in the Lusogwa area of Nyahururu Sub-County, Laikipia County, concealed in a container covered with aluminum iron sheets. The container had reportedly been stored by an unidentified dealer for over a month.
In delivering the judgment, Nyahururu Resident Magistrate Fredrick Larabi emphasized the severity and prevalence of drug trafficking in the country, stating that the strict sentence was intended to deter future crimes. The prosecution, having called five witnesses, successfully proved the case beyond reasonable doubt.
Mwangi, who testified in his own defense without calling additional witnesses, was unable to challenge the prosecution’s evidence. Consequently, the court ordered him to either pay the Kshs 50 million fine or serve 30 years in prison. He was also granted a 14-day window to appeal the ruling.
Additionally, the court ordered the destruction of the 63 bags of cannabis, which were presented as evidence. The drugs are to be destroyed in the presence of Nyahururu’s Deputy Commissioner, Area Police Commander, DCI, OCS Nyahururu, and Public Health officials. The corrugated iron sheets and the container used for storage, which remained unclaimed, were forfeited to the state to be repurposed for other uses.
