A Kabarnet court has sentenced a 21-year-old drug dealer to a three-year jail term after being found guilty of possessing cannabis sativa.

The convict, Bernard Kipchumba, who appeared before Kabarnet Principal Magistrate Caroline Ateya on Tuesday, was charged with possession of cannabis contrary to section 3(1) as read with section 3(2) (a) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Control Act No.4 of 1994.

In violation of the requirements of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act No.4 of 1994, Kipchumba was allegedly found in possession of two rolls and five grams of marijuana on September 1, 2023, at Kabartonjo police station in the Baringo North sub-county.

The man was brought to Kabartonjo police station for the crime of stealing farm products from within the community, according to the investigating officer, but during their routine search before being taken into a police cell, they discovered the two rolls of bhang hidden in his Marvin and the five grams were wrapped in a transparent paper from his left trouser pocket.

He is a part of the gang that distributes marijuana, the officer claimed, adding that after additional questioning of his brothers, father, and community members, they demanded that he be removed from his environment in order to properly and effectively undergo rehabilitation.

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George Mongare, the attorney for the prosecution, highlighted that Kipchumba had poor parental guidance as a result of his stepmother's alleged mistreatment of him after his mother passed away.

The counselor also mentioned that the young man adopted his father's poor habit of consuming alcohol and drugs.

As a kind of mitigation, Kipchumba testified before the court that he uses marijuana to increase his motivation and capacity for work.

The community wants the accused to be rehabilitated in a supportive atmosphere that would result in behavioral change, the magistrate stated when announcing the verdict, thus he is not suitable to serve a non-custodial sentence.

According to Ateya, she was satisfied that the accused deterrent custodian had been sentenced and later issued him a three-year prison term without the possibility of a fee after taking into account all the information presented.