A Kiambu court sentenced a driver to 10 years imprisonment for stealing petroleum worth Ksh5.7 in Eldoret.
According to a statement by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) on Wednesday, April 5, the driver made away with 44,000 litres of petrol that were destined for Uganda.
Further, the statement noted that the man set the tanker on fire at the Malaba border in an attempt to conceal evidence.
The man claimed that he opened the tank seals in an attempt to prevent an explosion but his attempt to deny setting the tanker on fire fell flat.
However, to prove that the man had indeed stolen the petroleum, the prosecution staged a mock demonstration.
“Prosecution availed a similar 24-wheeler tanker to demonstrate that it takes a longer period to open a tank seal, to rebut the defense allegation that it took the accused only 5 minutes to open all 7 tank seals aimed at preventing an explosion,” ODPP stated.
Further, to prove that the man set the tanker on fire, the prosecution invited fire experts to explain how different products burned
“Prosecution also called fire experts to demonstrate how different products burn considering the trailer slowly burnt out and didn’t explode,” the statement added.
In a separate incident in December 2022, a fuel tanker exploded after the driver engaged in a hot pursuit with traffic police officers after exceeding the speed limit along the Malaba border
The driver lost control and crashed into an electric pole in Tororo municipality opposite Uganda College of Commerce.
Witnesses stated that the driver managed to escape from the burning fuel tanker with severe injuries leaving behind his turnboy trapped in the blazing oil fire.
