A Kenol court in Murang’a County fined a young man Sh80,000 or ten months in prison for trafficking cannabis sativa.
On May 30, 2025, Jacob Mwangi Muiruri appeared before Resident Magistrate Jacinda Renna. During the court proceedings, it was revealed that at approximately 8:50 a.m., a police patrol team, led by Inspector Easter and accompanied by local officials including the Makuyu area chief, assistant chief Kamau, and PC Wafula, responded to a tip-off regarding a suspect selling bhang near Pundamilia Dam in the Pundamilia area of Makuyu.
The officers proceeded to the scene where they found the accused seated among several young men. Upon spotting the authorities, Mwangi allegedly attempted to flee but was chased and arrested while hiding in a nearby sugarcane plantation.
A search conducted at the scene recovered 127 rolls of bhang believed to be ready for sale.
Other items recovered included a pair of scissors, rolling materials, a newspaper used for packaging, and Sh800 suspected to be proceeds of the sale.
The drugs were later confirmed by the government chemist as cannabis, with an estimated street value of Sh6,500 and not prescribed for medical use.
Mwangi initially pleaded not guilty but later changed his plea and admitted the charges. In mitigation, he asked the court for forgiveness, promising not to repeat the offence.
The court convicted him on his own plea of guilt and imposed a fine of Sh80,000 or serve ten months imprisonment, taking into account the time already spent in remand.
He was given the right to appeal the ruling within 14 days while the recovered bhang will be destroyed and the Sh800 forfeited to the state.
In a separate case before the same court, Mary Wambui Wainaina was fined Sh50,000 or serve six months in prison after pleading guilty to selling alcohol without a licence.
The court heard that on March 21 last year, at about 11 a.m., Wambui was found operating Kiandutu Bar in Matunda village within Murang’a South Sub-County without a valid liquor licence.
Alcoholic drinks recovered and presented as exhibits in court included two bottles of vodka, two Ace drinks, two Ferrari drinks and three Diamond Ice bottles.
In mitigation, Wambui pleaded for leniency, telling the court she was the sole breadwinner and was selling alcohol to support her children.
The court convicted her on her own plea of accepting being guilty and imposed a fine of Sh50,000 or six months’ imprisonment, considering the time she had already spent in custody.
By Florence Kinyua
