Judges call for a review of violent robbery sentence

Justice John Mativo during a Virtual hearing of an election petition by former Nairobi Governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko at the Mombasa High Court chambers in Mombasa County on Tuesday, 14th June 2022. [File, Standard]

The Court of Appeal has emphasised the need for a serious discussion regarding the mandatory minimum sentences for convicts of robbery with violence, especially in cases where only threats were involved.

Sitting in Nakuru, Justices John Mativo, Paul Gachoka, and George Odunga expressed their bewilderment that a murderer could receive a lighter sentence, while those convicted of robbery with violence, even when threats were the only element, faced the death penalty.