A court in Eldoret has ordered the deportation of a Sierra Leonean woman found in the country illegally.
Senior Resident Magistrate Deniel Sitati also ordered Hawa Sam to pay Sh50,000 or serve one month in prison before her deportation.
She was sentenced on her own admission of being in the country illegally.
Sitati stated that after examining the documents produced by investigation officers, there was no reason mentioned to justify her stay in Kenya, contrary to section 53(1)(i) as read with section 53(2) of the Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Act, No 12 of 2010.
In her defence, the middle-aged woman said she fell in love with a Kenyan man while on holiday in the country, causing her to forget to renew her tourist visa.
She also urged the court to sympathise with her, saying she loved being in Kenya because it is a welcoming country with beautiful scenery.
“Your Honour, I admit staying here illegally, but I was so impressed with the environment that it has affected me; you have a wonderful country that led me to fall in love with a Kenyan man until I forgot that my documents had expired,” Sam told the court.
She then pleaded for mercy, promising not to repeat the mistake when she visits Kenya in the future.
The court was further amused when Sam called out her Kenyan boyfriend’s name and presented him as proof that they were together in Iten Town before her arrest.
“What I can say from the bottom of my heart is that Hawa Sam is my girlfriend. It’s just a case of confusion that she failed to renew her visa, as she stated earlier in her defence. Please forgive her, Your Honour,” said the middle-aged man, who did not disclose his name.
The Magistrate warned foreigners against travelling without valid documentation.
”Kenya loves friends from all over the continent. However, if you do not follow this country’s rules and regulations, you may find yourself in an awkward position—arrested by police and taken to court,” Sitati warned.
In the same court, a 29-year-old businesswoman was charged with obtaining money by false pretences in a chicken feed sale. The court also heard that Joan Jepchirchi obtained Sh55,000 from a client, Ian Cheruiyot, claiming she could supply him with chicken feed, a fact she knew to be false.
She pleaded not guilty to the charge and was granted a bond of Sh50,000 with two sureties
The case continues on 27 April 2026.