Man pleads guilty to possession of bhang, says he smokes because of his job

Appearing before Principal Magistrate Robert Mundia, the suspect; Duncan Mugambi Wanjiru, pleaded guilty to charges of possessing 9 rolls of Marijuana in his bag, contrary to the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Control Amendment  Act of 2022.

Mugambi told the court that the joints were for his own consumption and that he smoked them due to the difficulty of the manual jobs he undertakes.

The charge sheet read: “On 14 August 2023 at around 12.00 hours at Grogon area Embu township within Embu county, Mugambi was found in possession of bhang (9) rolls with a street value of Ksh. 450 which was not in medical preparation in contravention of the said Act.”

According to the report, the suspect was nabbed at Grogon slums after police officers who were on patrol stopped him for interrogation because he “looked suspicious”.

After interrogation, a quick search was done on him and the bhang was recovered in his left side pocket wrapped with a polythene bag.

During the hearing, he agreed to the charges and claimed that due to his hard manual jobs, he smokes to enable him to cope on a daily basis and that he did not peddle it.

“I do not sell it… I have a tough job and it is for my own consumption,'' Mugambi said.

Senior Principal Magistrate Esther Boke however entered a plea of not guilty for Mugambi because his argument amounted to denying the charges although he insisted the charges against him were true.

“I have accepted your Mitigation and since you have pleaded to be in possession of the said 9 rolls I order for Probation report before sentencing,” the judge ruled.

Mugambi will be remanded at Embu GK Prison until August 23, 2023, upon which he will be produced in court together with a probation officer report when the case will be mentioned.