Man who stole ram sentenced to 7 years

An Eldoret court has sentenced a 28-year-old man to seven years after he pleaded guilty of stealing a ram belonging to his neighbor.

Elisha Kibungei appeared before Principal Magistrate Sylvia Wewa and pleaded guilty to theft charges.

According to the charge, Kibungei is said to have stolen the ram valued at Sh6,000 on August 13 at Jerusalem village in Soy Sub-county within Uasin Gishu County.

He was charged together with another person, not before court who is said to have committed the offence jointly.

Court slapped him with another count of handling suspected stolen goods.

The court heard that three days after the offence was committed, Kibungei was found with the ram at Kuinet Market and that his intention was to sell it.

Minutes after Kibungei admitted the charges, the prosecutor read out facts of the case according to the police statements, to which he nodded in agreement and a judgement delivered instantly.

The prosecution told the court that Ernest Kipkurui, who is the owner of the ram had lent his friend for mating purposes.

However, when he woke up the following morning, he found the ram missing from his pen. He alerted neighbors and found out from one of them that the accused had been seen with a similar sheep.

The matter was reported to Soy Police Station prompting police to launch a search.

“The accused is said to have been found with the ram at Kuinet market at around 7pm. He wanted to sell it,” prosecution argued.

The magistrate noted that there had been an increase in cases of livestock theft, as witnessed with the number of cases brought before court.

She said that although the accused person was a first time offender, the court had found him guilty.

“We appreciate that the accused is a first time offender. However, he was found with the ram which he was ready to sell and that cannot be pardoned,” ruled Wewa.

Kibungei was given a period of 14 days to appeal the court ruling before being taken to jail.