NYAHURURU, Kenya, Sep 9 – A middle aged man was on Thursday fined Sh10,000 or seven months imprisonment for stealing Telcom Kenya\’s telecommunications equipment worth Sh300,000.
Simon Kimani was convicted on his own plea of guilt when he appeared before Nyahururu Resident Magistrate Daniel Musyoka who first doubted the value of the exhibit presented before the court.
But the court prosecutor Inspector James Koech explained that the exhibit before court was seized as the accused was burning it to extract copper wires, but the actual value of the vandalized equipment was worth Sh300,000.
The prosecution told the court that the accused was arrested near ArkPride hotel along Nyahururu- Nyeri road on the night of September 6, damaging the transmission cables with intent to obstruct information communication.
The court further heard that a security guard at Telcom Kenya offices in Nyahururu heard an alarm in the office which normally alerts them when their equipment is interfered with.
Other officers reacted swiftly and found 150 meters of cable missing in the area. In the neighborhood, the officers saw a borne fire lit by the accused person who was busy burning the cables to get rid of the plastic coating and he was arrested.
In mitigation, the accused person said his children had not eaten for three days and had to fetch them food through hook or crook.
He has 14 days to appeal against the judgement.
