The Mombasa Magistrate Court has handed Fatuma Ahmed Ali a 40-year prison term and a hefty fine of Ksh. 825,642,000 after convicting her of heroin trafficking.
Fatuma faced charges alongside her late husband, Swaleh Yusuf Ahmed, famously known as 'Kandereni,' a notorious drug baron in Kenya's Coastal region.
The charges stemmed from their September 18, 2018, arrest at their Kikambala residence, where authorities seized heroin valued at over Ksh. 275 million.
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Senior Principal Magistrate Martin Rabera presided over the case, with Chief Magistrate David Odhiambo delivering the sentencing. Rabera noted that the prosecution provided compelling evidence, including testimonies from officers involved in the raid.
The prosecution, led by lawyer Barbara Sombo, successfully opposed Fatuma's plea for a non-custodial sentence. Sombo highlighted the severity of the crime, citing the 91,735 grams of heroin confiscated.
She emphasized the devastating impact the drugs could have had, potentially endangering over 91,000 lives through street-level distribution.
Court documents revealed that Fatuma's husband, Swaleh, had his charges dropped due to his untimely and mysterious death.
His body was discovered in the Kiruwitu area near Vipingo, Kilifi County, nine days after he was reported missing under unclear circumstances.
