A man who pleaded guilty to being found in possession of 20 liters of Chang’aa which he was found selling at Kahawa West caused laughter in a Kiambu court when he sipped the exhibit to verify if it was adulterated or not.
The accused, David Wainaina Kiago had been arraigned before Kiambu Chief Magistrate Ms. Patriciah Gichohi and pleaded guilty to the offence committed on December 15, 2018 at Githurai 44.
When the magistrate enquired from him if the exhibit was his, he sought to move nearer and confirm and was allowed by the court.
To the surprise of those present, he knelt down, opened the lid to the jerrican and gulped some alcohol in a bid to determine if it was his original liquor that was taken away by the police officers from Kiamumbi police station.
He was interrupted by the magistrate who expressed shock at what he was doing and asked him “Why are you consuming alcohol in court? Where will we get more to replace the amount that you have drunk just now?” She asked as the court burst into laughter.
He sincerely apologized for the act but clarified that he was just sampling to confirm if it was his or water had been added to dilute the concoction.
As he continued to plead for leniency from the court, he now disowned the contents of the jerrican saying the liquor contained a lot of water.
“Mine was very concentrated” he said as he walked back to the dock as the court burst into more laughter.
Ms Gichohi warned him never to repeat sampling an exhibit of that nature in court. She then entered a plea of not guilty saying the case will be heard so that the contents are examined by an expert to confirm if it was indeed changaa or not.
She fixed the hearing for February 21st 2019 and the mention for December 27th 2018.
The same court meanwhile remanded in custody a woman who pleaded guilty to selling alcoholic drinks, namely chang’aa without a license at Githurai 44.
She was found serving clients who took off on December 15th 2018.
Florence Monika Omondi had pleaded guilty to the charge but the prosecutor told the court that he had received communication from Kiamumbi police station that the accused was a habitual offender as she had previously been charged with the same offence.
Her case will be mentioned on December 27th when previous records shall be produced in court prior to sentencing.
The same court sentenced 8 people to serve community service at the information and Kiambu law courts after they pleaded guilty to being drunk and disorderly.
The court however warned them that if they were arraigned again in court for the same offence they would be given a custodial sentence.
By Lydia Shiroya
