A Court in Limuru has sentenced a Somali national to three months imprisonment for illegally staying in the country.
The Limuru Principal Magistrate, Sandra Ogot sentenced Ahmed Abdi Said (28), following evidence adduced by the prosecution team that he had no valid documents to allow his stay in the country.
The court heard the accused was arrested with an expired Refugee Permit by police who were on patrol.
The prosecutor told the court that when the accused was first interviewed by immigration officers after being presented for verification of his status in the country; he claimed to have had a valid permit.
During the interview, Said revealed that he was a Somali national and that he had a valid refuge permit which he produced. However, upon verification of his permit, it was discovered that it expired on August 21, 2018 and that he was therefore unlawfully present in the country.
Upon further interrogation, the accused opened up but failed to justify why he did not renew the permit. He was later arrested and remanded in custody pending being arraigned in court to take plea.
In mitigation, Said told the court that he failed to renew the permit due to financial challenges and pleaded for leniency from the court.
He said it was not his intention to illegally stay in the country without regularizing his stay but that he was in the process of renewing the permit once he gets some money.
By Warren Kagombe/Lydia Shiroya