NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 6 – A man in Nairobi will spend two months in prison or pay a fine of Ksh30,000 after failing to settle a Sh22,000 hotel bill which he allegedly incurred during a night of heavy partying.
The court heard that Qurine Omondi Muteshi obtained credit by false pretense on October 3 at Vibanda Village in Upper Hill, Nairobi County.
According to the prosecution, Omondi walked into a restaurant, ordered food, alcoholic drinks, and water for himself and his friends, before leaving without paying.
When the total bill was presented, it had risen to Sh22,760.
In mitigation before Chief Magistrate Lucas Onyina, Omondi admitted he had lost control during the celebration.
“I had some money so I called my friends to celebrate. During the celebration I became so high and was surrounded by many ladies, each asking for drinks. Eventually, people disappeared, and I was left alone with the bill,” he told the court.
He added that he later discovered suspicious loan transactions on his phone, insisting he was shocked at how the debts accumulated.
Pleading for leniency, Omondi said: “The court can forgive me even if it is with punishment, as I work to pay for the bill. Some of us suffer because we are still new in Nairobi. This is my fourth year in the city, but I am not yet conversant with all its corners.” he told the court
After considering his mitigation, the magistrate sentenced him to two months in prison or a fine of Sh30,000.
