A Kakamega woman has been handed a 50-year prison sentence or a Sh50 million fine after being convicted of trafficking five kilogrammes of bhang valued at approximately Sh16,600.
Rachael Akinyi Juma was found guilty of trafficking cannabis sativa, commonly known as bhang, following a police operation at her rented house in the Murram area of Kakamega Central Sub-County.
The case dates back to June 12, 2019, when police officers, acting on information from members of the public, raided Juma’s residence and conducted a search.
During the operation, the officers recovered 22 brooms containing a total of five kilogrammes of bhang. The narcotic drugs were subsequently valued at about Sh16,600. Juma was arrested and charged with trafficking a narcotic drug contrary to Section 4(a) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act, No. 4 of 1994.
The prosecution, led by Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Lazarus Sirtuy and Prosecution Counsel Stephanie Akinyi, presented evidence linking Juma to the narcotic drugs recovered during the raid.
After considering the evidence presented throughout the trial, Hon. D.K. Wambua found Juma guilty, holding that the prosecution had proved the case beyond reasonable doubt. The court subsequently sentenced her to 50 years in prison, with an alternative option of paying a Sh50 million fine.
The conviction brings to a close a case that had remained in court since the 2019 recovery of the narcotic drugs from Juma’s residence.
The sentence also underscores the severe penalties provided under Kenyan law for trafficking narcotic drugs, with offenders liable to face lengthy prison terms and substantial fines upon conviction.
