Three men have been convicted for stealing 1,600 litres of Rina cooking oil valued at Ksh 1,628,000.
The convicts Josphat Nyamwange, Evans Ondari, and Ben Ochoki were arrested on September 30, 2021, following a complaint lodged by Mary Waruguru Ngugi, who accused them of stealing 400 containers, each holding 20 litres of the cooking oil.
According to court proceedings, the theft occurred between September 20 and 30, 2021, in Nairobi. The prosecution told the court that the three, together with others who are yet to be apprehended, conspired to steal the cooking oil from Waruguru.
In addition to the theft charges, Josphat Nyamwange faced a separate count of impersonation. He was accused of falsely presenting himself as an employee of the Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) to deceive Waruguru and facilitate the fraudulent acquisition of the cooking oil.
Further, Nyamwange and Ondari were charged with forging an award letter purportedly from NMS, claiming it authorized the supply and delivery of the 400 containers to Mount Olives Learning Centre Limited.
While delivering judgment, Milimani Chief Magistrate Benmark Ekhubi stated that the prosecution had presented sufficient evidence to prove all charges beyond reasonable doubt.
“Upon evaluating the evidence presented before this court,am convinced that the prosecution have established all the charges against you beyond a cedilla of doubt so I hereby return a verdict of guilty to all the three accused persons.” Ruled Magistrate Benmark Ekhubi.
Following the conviction under Section 215 of the Criminal Procedure Code, the magistrate revoked the suspects’ bond terms and ordered that they remain in custody until sentencing on August 7, 2025
