Human wheeler-dealer to rest heels in the coolers

BY RENSON MNYAMWEZI

A lorry driver who facilitated the movement of 57 illegal immigrants was jailed for one year by a court in Taita-Taveta County.

Patrick Kariuki pleaded guilty to the charge before the Voi Resident Magistrate Linus Nyakundi.

The Ethiopian were also charged in the same court for being in the country illegally.

Kariuki was charged that on December 20 at Ndara area
along the Nairobi-Mombasa highway he unlawfully harboured and facilitated the movement of foreigners contrary to the laws of Kenya.

In mitigation, Kariuki told the court that he was not aware that the foreigners he was carrying had no valid documents.

"My vehicle had mechanical problems at Mtito-Andei and when I asked for assistance from some people in the town, they gave me a condition that they will only assist if I accepted their request of ferrying their visitors to Mombasa. I was desperate at the time and I had to accept their demands," he explained.

The magistrate said the offence committed was serious
and a deterrent sentence was necessary to serve as an example to others would be offenders.