NAROK, Kenya- A Narok court has fined Pascal Chacha Sh50 million after convicting him of trafficking 47.3 kilogrammes of cannabis sativa, commonly known as bhang.
Chief Magistrate H. Nyaberi sentenced Chacha to pay the fine or serve 50 years in prison in default after finding him guilty on his own plea during the trial.
The case was heard at the Narok Law Courts, where Chacha faced a charge under Section 4(a)(ii) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act, as amended in 2022.
Bhang found in PSV matatu
The prosecution told the court that Chacha was arrested on February 10, 2025, along the Narok–Suswa Road at Ntulele in Narok East Sub-County.
He was found, jointly with others, trafficking 47.3 kilogrammes of bhang valued at Sh1.419 million.
The drugs were being conveyed in a public-service vehicle, according to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Gitonga Murang’a, Principal Prosecution Counsel James Kigo and Prosecution Counsel Leone Wandera led the prosecution.
The ODPP said the prosecution relied on a plea-bargain process to secure the evidence of the matatu driver, who was later converted into a State witness.
Why the Sh50 million fine applies
Under Section 4(a)(ii), trafficking more than 100 grammes of a narcotic drug or psychotropic substance attracts a fine of not less than KSh50 million or three times the market value of the drugs, whichever is higher, or imprisonment for 50 years, or both.
Chacha’s 47.3 kilogrammes, or 47,300 grammes, was far above the 100-gramme threshold set out in the law.
Although the cannabis was valued at Sh1.419 million, three times that amount would be Sh4.257 million.
The Sh50 million statutory minimum was therefore the higher penalty under the Act.
The court said the quantity of bhang involved was a significant aggravating circumstance, noting that the offence concerned the transportation of a substantial amount of cannabis.
Court cites need for deterrence
In sentencing, the magistrate weighed Chacha’s mitigation against the aggravating circumstances of the case and found that a deterrent sentence was warranted.
The court also cited its duty to protect the public from the effects of narcotic-drug offences.
The conviction underscores the severe penalties provided under Kenya’s narcotics law for trafficking quantities above the 100-gramme threshold.
While possession of cannabis for personal use is treated separately under the law, trafficking offences attract far stiffer sanctions, including lengthy prison terms and multimillion-shilling fines.
