NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 27 — The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) has secured a landmark conviction in a drug trafficking case after a Bomet court sentenced a man to 50 years in prison and imposed a Sh50 million fine.
In a statement, the ODPP described the ruling as a significant victory in the State’s ongoing crackdown on narcotics networks operating along key transit routes.
Senior Principal Magistrate Stephen Onjoro of the Bomet Law Courts sentenced Bernard Miyeiende Kerongo to 50 years’ imprisonment after finding him guilty of trafficking in narcotic drugs.
The court further ordered Kerongo to pay a fine of Sh50 million or, in default, serve an additional five years in prison.
“The court heard that on March 22, 2024, at about 5:55 p.m., the accused was intercepted at Mulot town along the Bomet–Narok highway while transporting ten sacks of cannabis weighing 278 kilograms and valued at Sh8,340,000,” the ODPP said.
According to the prosecution, the narcotics were concealed in a Toyota Noah, registration number KBZ 667Z, in clear violation of the law.
The case was prosecuted by Principal Prosecution Counsel Ayekha Augustine, whose presentation of evidence secured the conviction.
The ODPP said the sentence sends a strong warning to individuals involved in drug trafficking and reaffirmed its commitment to dismantling narcotics syndicates across the country.
