A man has been sentenced to death after he was convicted of two counts of robbery with violence.
A court in Kibera, Nairobi, handed the man the ultimate sentence after finding that he stole phones valued at Ksh39,000 and cash in violent robberies.
According to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), the robberies occurred separately on the night of November 3, 2024, around 11 pm in Kawangware.
In one incident, the convict snatched a Tecno phone worth Ksh24,000 from a resident, before stealing another phone valued at Ksh15,000 from another man while threatening them with violence.
"The suspect was found guilty of robbing two men of mobile phones, all valued at Ksh39,000, and cash amounting to Ksh30,000. The court established that he threatened to use actual violence against victims, " a statement by the DPP said.
The prosecution, led by Ann Murage, proved the charges beyond a reasonable doubt, according to the court, by stating that the suspect committed the crimes jointly with an accomplice who was not before the court.
Principal Magistrate Christine Njagi noted that the death penalty is still legal in Kenya and has not been ruled unconstitutional.
The suspect received two death sentences, one for each robbery, though one sentence will be held in abeyance.
The victims were forced to hand over mobile phones worth a total of Ksh39,000 and Ksh30,000 in cash.
According to the DPP, the suspect was formally charged on November 15, and the case wrapped up in just six months.
In Kenya, robbery with violence is considered a serious case under section 296(2) of the Penal Code, and as a punishment, the offender in the robbery with violence is sentenced to death.
According to the Code, even if no one is killed during the robbery, the use of threats, weapons, or working with an accomplice is enough to trigger the penalty.
The constitution of Kenya 2010 does not ban the death penalty nor make it mandatory.
