Kibera court has handed a 'light' sentence to Njoroge Chege who pleaded guilty to possession of bhang.
Chege was found in possession of 100 grammes of marijuana worth Ksh2,000 and charged before Kibera Chief Magistrate Ann Mwangi.
The prosecution informed the court that Chege was arrested while in possession of marijuana on July 22, 2023, in the Ngara area of Nairobi.
The State prosecutor also told the Kibera court that the accused had no previous records of possessing an illicit substance, but nevertheless called for a tough sentence.
In his mitigation, Chege told the court that he smoked bhang to relieve pain in his private parts.
He claimed that smoking weed was the only remedy that eased the pain that was caused by a strange disease which had affected his manhood.
Chege pleaded guilty to charges of possessing an outlawed substance.
“I have some diseases that affected my private parts. Smoking bhang created some relief for me. I am very sorry and apologetic your honour,” he told the court.
Kibera Chief Magistrate Ann Mwangi ruled that Chege should pay a fine of Ksh20,000 or serve a six-month jail term.
Bhang (also known as cannabis, marijuana, weed etc) is still illegal in Kenya. The possession, use, sale, and cultivation of cannabis are prohibited under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Control Act.
Those found guilty of possession of cannabis for personal use can face a jail term of up to 10 years or liable to a fine of Ksh250,000 or both.
