Written By Lisa Murimi
Two men have been sentenced to 24 years in prison and fined Ksh 50 million each for trafficking cannabis valued at over Ksh 4 million.
The verdict was delivered at the JKIA Law Courts following a high-profile legal battle that has captured national attention.
The two were arrested last May during a dramatic police operation on the Nairobi-Naivasha highway.
Officers from the Transnational Organized Crime Unit (TOCU) intercepted their white Toyota Passo near the Flyover area, where they discovered seven sacks and eight packages containing dry plant material.
The substance, later identified as cannabis sativa, weighed 161.75 kg with an estimated street value of Ksh4,852,500.
Their arrest triggered a comprehensive investigation by the Anti-Narcotics Unit (ANU) at the DCI headquarters.
Presented with damning evidence and testimonies from six witnesses, the court convicted the men on May 29, 2023.
In addition to their prison terms, the convicts face a Ksh 50 million fine each. Failure to pay the fines will result in an additional year of imprisonment.
This case underscores Kenya’s stringent stance on drug-related crimes, following a similar harsh ruling from March 2023, where another drug dealer received a 50-year sentence for trafficking 6.7 kilograms of bhang.
Kenyan law imposes severe penalties on cannabis offenses, reflecting the government’s zero-tolerance policy towards drug trafficking.
