38 Sentenced to Prison for Flouting Covid-19 Rules

Police order Mombasa residents on ground on March 27, 2020 just hours before the start of nationwide curfew to curb spread of coronavirus.
Police order Mombasa residents on the ground on March 27, 2020, just hours before the start of the nationwide curfew
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38 people in Thika were on Monday, November 9, sentenced to three months in prison each for flouting Covid-19 rules.

The suspects pleaded guilty to charges of flouting curfew orders as directed by the Ministry of Health in an attempt to curb the spread of Covid-19 virus.

In his ruling, Thika Resident Magistrate Oscar Wanyaga offered the convicts an alternative to each pay a fine of Ksh5,000.

The group was arrested in different parts of Kiambu County. Some were arrested for not wearing facemasks and others had contravened curfew hours.

Thika Resident Magistrate Oscar Wanyaga
Thika Resident Magistrate Oscar Wanyaga issues a ruling.
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Among the convicts was a woman with a toddler who was pardoned by the judge for the sake of the child.

"I am forgiving you because of your child but I am putting you on a suspended sentence. When you commit another offense within six months, you will be sent to prison," stated Wanyaga.

This comes even as the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) issued a clarification over suspects from Isiolo who had been freed without charges.

Reports had indicated that the ODPP had rejected charge sheets for 24 people arrested flouting Covid-19 containment protocol in Isiolo.

In a statement, the agency clarified that the charge sheets were not rejected but were taken back for amendment as it had not indicated the locations of arrest for the suspects.

"Our attention has been drawn to information being circulated by a section of the media alleging that the DPP has rejected charge sheets for COVID-19 offenders in Isiolo County. We would like to state that this is indeed a case of misreporting.

"The true position is that ODPP advised the police that during a swoop, they should indicate the location of arrest in the charge sheet for each offender," read a statement from the ODPP.

ODPP was concerned that the location of arrest was the same for all offenders, which was not the case," added the statement.

Thika Law Courts building
Thika Law Courts building.
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