• He was sentenced to five years for handling stolen goods, seven for being in possession of a firearm and seven more for having ammunition without a licence.
• Pistol and bullets to be taken to Firearms Licensing Board where plaintiff will reapply for them.
A Makadara court has slapped a man with 19 years in jail after it found him guilty of handling and unlawful possession of a stolen firearm and ammunition.
Stephen Karanja Kiarie was sentenced to five years for handling stolen goods, seven for being in possession of a firearm and seven more for having ammunition without a licence.
Makadara chief magistrate Heston Nyaga said the prosecution proved its case beyond doubt.
The jail terms will run concurrently starting from June 2017 when he was charged meaning he will remain in jail for the next five years.
“It is not lost on me that Nairobi City has become quite a dangerous place to live in; armed robberies are the order of the day. The accused’s possession of a firearm without a licence is a prima facie evidence of his position to commit robberies,” Nyaga said.
“The accused is a young man without any disability. He has to learn to work in a lawful manner to earn a living. Shortcuts to wealth don’t last.”
Kiarie was accused of violently robbing Patrick Kilemi Kiruri of a Glock pistol and seven bullets valued at Sh 300,000 on July 11, 2016.
He was found with the gun in his house in Mowlem, Njiru Subcounty, nearly a year later on May 24, 2017.
Nyaga directed that the pistol and bullets be taken to the Firearms Licensing Board where Kiruri will reapply for them.
Edited by R.Wamochie