A man who was found guilty of stealing four kilograms of coffee berries worth Sh400 has been sentenced to serve one year in prison by a Nyeri court.
The accused Richard Michuki, who appeared before Nyeri Senior Principal Magistrate James Macharia on Monday pleaded guilty to the theft charges, an offence contrary to the Crops Production and Livestock Act.
Particulars of the charge indicated that on the morning of Saturday, May 28, 2022 at 7am, Michuki was found in Naomi Kihuma’s coffee farm in Kangaita Kieni West sub county harvesting coffee berries and on seeing Kahuma, he tried to flee for his life.
The court heard that it was Kahuma’s cry for help that caught the attention of villagers who responded to her alarm by apprehending Michuki.
By the time he was cornered, Michuki had harvested four kilograms of coffee berries.
When he stood to take his plea Michuki admitted to have harvested the coffee berries which were produced in court as exhibit.
SPM Macharia sentenced Michuki to serve a year in jail with no option for a fine since he had earlier served a three-month sentence for theft.
In the same court, a man was charged with being in possession of chang’aa, a charge that he denied.
The court heard that Timothy Mathenge was on May 26 at 12 midday, found in possession of 10 litres of the illicit brew at the Witemere Village, Nyeri town. The offense is a breach of the Chang’aa Prohibition Act, Cap 70.
Mathenge however denied the allegation. In his defense, he said that the alleged 10 liters container in his possession was empty and did not contain chang’aa at the time of his arrest.
He was ordered by the court to pay Sh 30,000 cash bail. The matter is set for mention on June 13 before the same court.
