Kenyan Woman Fined Sh20,000 for Trafficking Small Amount of Bhang

A 24-year-old woman who pleaded guilty to trafficking five rolls of bhang worth Sh150 was fined Sh20,000 on Thursday by a Kenol Court.

Rosemary Ngaruiya, who appeared before Murang’a Resident Magistrate Jackinda Rennah, was charged with possessing five rolls of bhang without a medical prescription on April 8, 2024, in her leased property in Wempa, Murang’a South.

Prosecutor Millicent Oduor told the court that officials from the Wempa police post, following on a tip from members of the public, went to her residence and searched it.

The prosecutor stated that the five rolls of bhang produced in court as evidence were discovered in Ngaruiya’s back pocket, wrapped in a black polythene bag.

The accused pleaded guilty to the charges and made no mitigation statement, thus she was convicted based solely on her guilty plea.

Resident magistrate Jackinda ordered the accused to pay a fine of Sh20,000 or face four months in prison.

In the same court, a 37-year-old man who pleaded guilty to cutting down two Eucalyptus trees from a private investor’s plantation to sell for profit will be sentenced on April 24.

The accused, Boniface Kioko, committed the offense on April 10, 2024, at 3 p.m. in Gituamba woodland, Murang’a south, by cutting down two eucalyptus trees belonging to the Kakuzi PLC enterprise.

His accomplices managed to flee, but the accused was captured and transferred to the Kakuzi police post.