A drug dealer has been sentenced to 50 years in prison for trafficking bhang worth Ksh201,300.
Senior Resident Magistrate Leah Kisabuli handed Kalume Kitsau the sentence after pleading guilty to trafficking in 122 rolls of bhang, weighing 6,710 grams. The sentence is without an option for a fine.
"He was charged with Trafficking in Narcotic Drugs Contrary to Section 4 [a] [ii] of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Control Act No. 4 of 1994 as amended by the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (control) (amendment) Act of 2022. The particulars being that on March 6, 2024, within Ngoloko area in Kikambala within Kilifi South in Kilifi County of Coast Region, Kitsau was found trafficking in narcotic drugs by selling cannabis," the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) said.
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"Principal Prosecution Counsel Keya Ombele gave the facts of the case that; the Convict was arrested by police officers from Mtwapa police station following a tipoff from a member of the public."
Arguing the case in court, Ombele revealed that, upon searching, the officers discovered a sack under the bed in which they found dry plant material rolls they suspected to be cannabis.
"The prosecutor produced the Government Chemist Report and the 122 rolls of Cannabis Sativa as per the analyst report," ODPP added.
In his defence, Kitsao told the court that he sells bhang to earn a living and support his young family.
However, Justice Kisabuli ruled that the accused had been cautioned on the seriousness of the offence and hefty sentence before admitting the plea of guilt.
"Upon conviction; the Court found that the law provided for a sentence of 50 years to deter others as narcotic drug sales have ruined the lives of many Kenyan youth. She added that the court has a duty of care to safeguard the society from further harm," ODPP added.
In a separate incident, law enforcement officers apprehended two men while transporting bhang worth Ksh9 million in Migori.
In a statement, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) revealed that Daniel Okoth and Erick Ombima were caught in the act of smuggling 300kg of marijuana into the country using a Land Cruiser Prado.
Daniel Okoth, entrusted with ferrying the banned substance, along with his accomplices, had plotted to transport the drugs through the Nyametaburo route, eventually joining the Isebania-Migori highway at Mabera.
However, their journey took an unexpected turn when they encountered a police roadblock near the Karamu Bridge area.
According to DCI, the driver made a reckless attempt to evade capture nearly injuring one of the officers in the process.
