Man in Kwale sentenced to 7 years in jail for possession of bhang

According to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), Salim Mwamatezo was convicted on his own plea for being in possession of narcotic drugs.

Kwale Resident Magistrate Ruth Ogollo granted him the option of paying a fine of Ksh.1 million, failure to which he will serve the full seven-year sentence.

"During proceedings, Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Collins Orwa urged the accused to reconsider his plea and explained the serious legal consequences he faced. The case was mentioned three more times, but Mwamatezo consistently maintained his guilty plea, prompting Hon. Ogollo to proceed with sentencing," said the ODPP.

The court heard that Mwamatezo was found in possession of 50 large rolls of bhang, 99 cut cubes, and 49 cigarette-sized rolls, with an estimated street value of KSh 40,000.

A pre-sentence report presented in court described Mwamatezo as a well-known drug dealer in his village. Despite repeated warnings from the local chief and village chairman, he reportedly ignored the cautions and even boasted that he was untouchable due to alleged protection from certain police officers.