A Migori man was sentenced to life imprisonment on Wednesday
after he was found guilty of trafficking 155 rolls of bhang.
Emmanuel Chacha was charged with trafficking the bhang worth Sh23,250 at the Likoni Ferry channel in Mombasa on May 14.
Chacha had pleaded guilty to the charge.
According to the prosecution, the man was arrested after his bag was screened ahead of crossing.
State Counsel Lilian Fundi said security officers found the rolls after thoroughly searching the bag.
The government chemist confirmed that the suspect had bhang.
But Chacha, who confessed to the crime but noted that this was the first time he had ferried bhang from Migori, pleaded with the court to forgive him.
He said his conscience did not allow him to lie to the court.
"I had been convinced that if I ventured into that business, I would escape poverty. That was my first time in Mombasa," he said.
While sentencing him, Senior Principal Magistrate Edgar Kagoni said people like Chacha should be locked away from society so youths are protected.
He said drugs have made youths turn into criminals so traders must be stopped.
"The likes of the accused have rendered youths useless and dysfunctional. It is the court's duty to protect them from people like you," he told Chacha.
Kagoni said the sentence will serve as a lesson to people who think Mombasa is a dumping site for narcotic drugs.
"Drug dealers targeting Mombasa will think twice,"
he added.
