Gathogo Mwaniki who is in his mid- twenties was condemned to death by Nyeri Senior Resident Magistrate Ruth Kefa after he was found guilty of robbery with violence charges where he robbed Sh520 and two mobile phones worth Sh17,000 from two pedestrians.
The charge sheet read that on 10th January last year at Nyeri town jointly with others not before court while armed with a knife, he robbed a fellow student Muriithi Kagai Sh500 and a mobile phone valued at Sh 9,000.
Mwaniki is also accused to have also robbed a pedestrian Gitahi Kirugumi Sh 20 and a mobile phone worth Sh 8,020 on the same date.
In mitigation, the student urged the court during the ruling on Tuesday to release him so that he can continue with his education but his plea fell on deaf ears.
The prosecution side stated that Mwaniki who was accompanied by four other men was positively identified by the complainants who were on their way home on the material date at around 11PM.
He was also later found in possession of the stolen items upon arrest by the police at a local near Majengo slums area where he was enjoying the cash.
The complaint Kirugumi narrated to court that the convict’s role in the robbery was to remove the phone from his pocket while the other men held the knife to his stomach threatening him to comply or else he would be killed.
-Wambugu Kanyi