Two members of the notorious Panga Boys gang have been sentenced to five years in prison each for breaking into a primary school in Lamu East and stealing construction materials worth KSh50,000.
Jaffar Mohamed, alias Fai, and Salim Abdallah, alias Kijana, were convicted of breaking into a classroom at Mtangawanda Primary School and committing a felony, contrary to Section 306(a) of the Penal Code.
Principal Magistrate Peter Wasike handed down the sentences after finding that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt through the testimony of six witnesses.
The court heard that the two broke into a classroom being used as a store at around 2am on December 26, 2025, and stole materials intended for a classroom construction project funded by the Safaricom Foundation.
The stolen items included 11 containers of Super Gloss paint, a grinder, paintbrushes, rollers, scrapers, electrical installation tape and sandpaper.
The theft was discovered by the school watchman and reported by project foreman Dennis Samson Bakari at Siyu Police Post.
Two days later, the convicts allegedly attempted to sell the grinder to a resident, Muhsin Nadhir, in Pate village.
They claimed they had taken the equipment because they had not been paid for work, but Nadhir declined to buy it and reported the matter to the area chief.
On December 29, police officers in Faza intercepted the suspects as they boarded a matatu heading to Kizingitini.
Officers recovered some of the stolen items, including paint, brushes, rollers and electrical tapes.
The court further heard that the suspects led police to Mbui bushes, where additional materials had been hidden in sacks. The grinder was later recovered in Pate.
In their defense, the two denied the charges, claiming they had been arrested while travelling to visit an aunt and had been framed by police.
However, the magistrate dismissed their defense, citing evidence linking them to the stolen property and their role in leading officers to additional recovered items.
Probation reports presented in court described the two as violent youths allegedly associated with several housebreaking incidents in Lamu East and Pate.
Despite pleading for leniency on grounds that they were breadwinners, the court ruled that they were unsuitable for non-custodial sentences, citing concerns about public safety.
The five-year prison terms will run from the respective dates of their arrest.
The court granted the two 14 days to appeal against their conviction and sentence.
