A Sierra Leone national has been fined Sh50,000 or serve one month imprisonment after pleading guilty to being in Kenya illegally.
In his verdict, Eldoret Senior Resident Magistrate, Daniel Sitati, also ordered that the alien, Ms. Hawa Sam be repatriated to her country of origin immediately after she pays the fine or conclude her jail term.
She was charged that on or before April 16, 2026 at Teleview area in Eldoret City, Uasin Gishu County, being a Sierra Leone National, she was found illegally present in the country without a permit to warrant her stay in Kenya contrary to the laws.
In her defense, Sam tickled the court by saying that she fell in love with a Kenyan man while enjoying her holiday in the country thus forgetting to renew her tourist visa.
“I was so impressed with the environment in the country and I ended up falling in a romantic relationship with a Kenyan man until I forget that my documents had expired,” said Hawa as the packed court burst into laughter.
She consequently pleaded with the Presiding Magistrate to pardon her promising not to repeat the mistake when she visits the country again
The court was further left in stitches when Ms Sam called out the name of her Kenyan boyfriend and presented him to the court as her evidence that indeed ‘they were an item.’
“Your honor indeed I can confirm that Hawa Sam is my girlfriend as she had stated earlier in her defense,” said the middle aged man who did not disclose his name.
The Magistrate warned the Sierra Leone National against touring the country without valid documents lest she be arrested and prosecuted again.
In the same court a 29 year old businesswoman was charged with obtaining money by false pretense in a chicken feed sale.
Joan Jepchirchir is said to have obtained Sh55,000 from one Ian Cheruiyot purporting that she was in a position to supply him chicken feed, a fact she knew to be false.
The accused who was unrepresented allegedly committed the said offence on February 28, 2026 within Kpsoya area, Uasin Gishu County.
She pleaded not guilty to the charge when she appeared before SRM Sitati and was granted a bond of Sh 50,000 with two sureties or a cash bail of Sh 20,000.
The case is set for mention on April 27, 2026.
By Ekuwam Sylvester
