Nine gangsters were sentenced to death

Nine gangsters were sentenced to death. Some of them are already serving sentences after being convicted of other offences. They are James Mwangi Karuru, Maina Kamanja, David Kamau Murihia, Wilson Mwangi Njeri, Thomas Nyaga Muriithi, Edwin Muiru Wamaitha, Samuel Waithaka Ngati, James Irungu Kuria and Eliud Kamau Njoroge alias Chameleon. Charges against them stated that on diverse dates in Murang'a District while armed with assorted weapons among them pistols, they violently robbed a cross section of people of assorted household goods, shop items and cash.
In his judgment Mr El-Kiddy who was transferred to the Nairobi law courts recently said that from the evidence, which had been adduced, by scores of prosecution witnesses there was no doubt that all the accused persons committed the offences.
He dismissed their claims that they were not parties to the robberies, which were committed in the district at gun-point causing a wave of terror in the area.
The prosecutor corporal James Machuki said that while some of the accused persons were first offenders, others were already serving convictions related to the charges which were before Mr El-Kiddy. Each of them was however given 14 days to appeal against the convictions.