• He was found guilty of robbing a client of Sh3,000 while armed with a panga.
• During resentencing, he requests the court to order complainant to apologise to him.
A Kibera court has reduced the life sentence of a butcher found guilty of robbery with violence — for Sh3,000 — to 35 years.
Josephat Karanja has already served 10 years for robbing a client using a panga.
Senior resident magistrate Boaz Ombewa on Friday reduced the sentence after the probation officer's report called Karanja arrogant, unapologetic and a security threat to society.
Karanga said he would appeal and asked the court to order an apology from the complainant...
He reminded the court that the Supreme Court has ruled that a death sentence need not be automatic and judges have discretion in sentencing. Robbery with violence technically carries a death sentence, which has not been carried out since 1987. Instead, those convicted serve life sentences.
Ombewa said, however, that Karanja failed to be remorseful and proved that he was not rehabilitated. He was resentenced to 35 years from his date of conviction, meaning 25 years more.
The offence was committed on December 17, 2005, in Kibera when Karanja, with other not before the court, while armed with a panga, attempted to rob Samuel Onyiego of Sh3,000 and documents.
A struggle ensued and one of the assailants slashed his forehead with a panga.
Members of the public arrived to help. Onyiego was holding on to Karanja who was holding on to the panga. The other man escaped. The public arrested Karanja.
Karanja had testified in his defence that he was working in his butchery when the complainant asked for some meat. He said he didn't have any money and asked Karanja to accompany him to his house to get the money.
When they reached the house, Onyiego went in and then emerged screaming.
Karanja said he asked him to pay but Onyeigo continued screaming and said Karanja wanted to rob him.
This led to a common and Karanja's arrest.
Edited by R.Wamochie