A man has been sentenced to pay a KSh50 million fine or serve 50 years in prison after being convicted of trafficking 47.3 kilogrammes of cannabis sativa (bhang) in Narok County.
Pascal Chacha was sentenced by Narok Chief Magistrate H. Nyaberi after being found guilty of trafficking narcotic drugs under Section 4(a)(ii) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Amendment Act, 2022.
According to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), Chacha committed the offence on February 10, 2025, along the Narok-Suswa Road in Ntulele, Narok East Sub-County.
The court heard that Chacha, jointly with others, was found trafficking 47.3 kilogrammes of bhang valued at approximately KSh1,419,000, which was being transported in a Public Service Vehicle (PSV) matatu.
The prosecution team, led by Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Gitonga Murang’a, alongside Principal Prosecution Counsel James Kigo and Prosecution Counsel Leone Wandera, presented evidence linking the accused to the offence.
The ODPP further revealed that prosecutors relied on a plea bargain arrangement to secure the testimony of the matatu driver, who was subsequently converted into a state witness.
In its sentencing decision, the court identified the substantial quantity of cannabis as an aggravating circumstance, noting the seriousness of the offence and its potential impact on public safety.
After considering the accused’s mitigation against the aggravating circumstances, the court ruled that a deterrent sentence was warranted to protect the public from the harmful effects of narcotic drug trafficking.
Chacha was consequently ordered to pay a KSh50 million fine, with an alternative sentence of 50 years’ imprisonment in default.
