Kilifi bhang dealer sentenced to 50 years in prison
Kalume Kitsau confessed and pleaded guilty to a charge of trafficking 122 rolls of bhang worth Sh201,300.
A Kilifi court has sentenced a drug dealer to 50 years in prison, without the option of a fine, for trafficking marijuana worth Sh201,300.
Kalume Kitsau was arrested on March 6, 2024, at his home in Ngoloko, Kilifi South Sub-county, by officers from the Mtwapa Police Station, who were alerted by locals.
"According to Principal Prosecution Counsel Keya Ombele, upon conducting a search, the officers discovered a sack under the bed in which they found dry plant material rolls they suspected to be cannabis," the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) said in a statement.
A subsequent analysis by a government chemist confirmed that the recovered substance was, in fact, bhang.
The ODPP said Kitsau was charged with trafficking in narcotic drugs, as per 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.
Ombele presented the government chemist's report and 122 rolls of bhang as evidence.
In mitigation, Kitsau claimed he sold the marijuana to earn a living and support his family.
He confessed and pleaded guilty to the charge of trafficking 122 rolls of bhang, weighing 6.7 kg, before Kaloleni Senior Resident Magistrate Kisabuli.
In her ruling, Kisabuli emphasised the seriousness of the offence and the need for a deterrent sentence.
"The court found that the law provides for a sentence of 50 years to deter others, as narcotic drug sales have ruined the lives of many Kenyan youth," she stated, and highlighted the court's duty to protect the community.
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