Woman arraigned for possessing a firearm

Florence Wamucii when she appeared in court. [Standard]

A woman who was arrested at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) last Wednesday after arriving from the US has been charged.

Florence Wamucii was arraigned yesterday on charges of being in possession of a Beretta Pistol serial number H00935, without a firearm certificate.

Ms Wamucii, who appeared before Milimani Principal Magistrate Martha Mutuku, also faced a separate count of being in possession of 106 rounds of ammunition.

She pleaded not guilty and the prosecution did not object to her being released on bond or bail.

Wamucii’s lawyer, Eric Mutua, said his client had dual citizenship — holding both an American and a Kenyan passport.

“Your honour the firearm in question was certified as legal in Las Vegas. It was also cleared at JKIA by Kenyan security officials, yet my client was arrested and her passport confiscated,” Mr Mutua told the court.

“The police have investigated if the firearm is legal as per American laws and found that indeed it is.”

Mutua pleaded for leniency and asked the court to order the release of his client’s mobile phone if the investigating officer was not using it as an exhibit.

Wamucii was released on a bond of Sh 500,000 with an alternative cash bail of Sh30,000. The hearing was set for August 27.