A man deported from the United States in 2014 is accused of emptying his girlfriend's house in Pangani, Nairobi, of household goods worth Ksh657,500.
Appearing at the Madaraka Courts on Tuesday, February 7, the suspect took to the stand to respond to charges of burglary levelled against him.
The magistrate heard from the prosecution how the suspect forced entry into his estranged girlfriend's house when she was away on a visit to her aunt.
According to the investigating officer Hussein Hassan, the suspect broke into the house on January 30, and packed the goods into an awaiting car.
He was also found with Ksh79,000 which the police suspected was the proceeds of the crime. He was charged with burglary and handling stolen goods.
The suspect pleaded not guilty claiming he was on a tantrum after a fallout with his estranged lover. Through his lawyers, the accused appealed for lenient bail and bond terms.
However, the prosecution vehemently opposed the plea, stating that the man was at flight risk given his deportation from the US to Somalia in 2014.
"The suspect’s nationality is questionable and so is how he acquired his Kenyan national identity card in the year 2020 since both of his parents are US citizens.
"In the course of the investigations, I have established that the accused is not a Kenyan citizen,” Hassan told the court.
The magistrate granted the police request to hold the suspect until February 13, upon which a determination would be made on the bail and bond applications.
Under Section 304 of the Penal Code, a person who breaks into a house with the intent of committing a felony is guilty of housebreaking and is liable to imprisonment for a term of seven years.
The penalty is, however, different if the burglary happens at night.
"If the offence is committed in the night, it is termed burglary, and the offender is liable to imprisonment for 10 years," reads Section 304 (2).
