Man jailed for 50 years over trafficking 47kg of bhang

NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 7-A Narok court has sentenced a man to 50 years in prison or a Sh 50 million fine for trafficking 47.3 kilogrammes of bhang.

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) said Pascal Chacha was convicted at the Narok Law Courts after being found guilty of trafficking the drugs, which were valued at Sh 1.4 million.

Chief Magistrate Hezron Nyaberi handed down the sentence after considering the circumstances of the offence, including the quantity of bhang involved and the need to protect the public from the effects of drug trafficking.

The prosecution told the court that Chacha, jointly with others, was found trafficking 47.3 kilogrammes of cannabis on February 10, 2025, along the Narok-Suswa Road in Ntulele, Narok East Sub-County.

The drugs were being transported in a Public Service Vehicle (PSV) matatu when the accused was arrested.

The court identified the substantial quantity of cannabis as an aggravating circumstance, warranting a deterrent sentence.

The prosecution, led by Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Gitonga Murang’a, Principal Prosecution Counsel James Kigo and Prosecution Counsel Leone Wandera, relied on a plea bargain to secure the evidence of the matatu driver, who was subsequently turned into a state witness.

“The court observed that the quantity of bhang was a significant aggravating circumstance, noting that the offence involved the conveyance of a substantial quantity of 47.3 kilogrammes of Cannabis Sativa,” ODPP said.

​Bruhan Makong is a Senior News Reporter for Capital FM in Nairobi, covering diplomacy, foreign policy, national security, climate, and human rights across East Africa and the wider region.