Two sentenced to three years in jail for stealing school tablets

Two men have been sentenced to three years in jail for stealing digital tablets and laptops valued at Sh3.5 million from Mwena Primary School in Lunga Lunga.

Salim Kassim and Ramadhan Rai were accused of committing the offence last month.

They pleaded guilty before Senior Resident Magistrate Betty Koech on Friday.

"I have considered the mitigation given by the accused and seems not to have understood the value of the devices to the future of the pupils of that community," Ms Koech said while delivering the judgement.

The devices were delivered to the school under the Digital Learning Programme.

State prosecutor Cecilia Wakoli told the court that the two, together with others not before the court, broke into the school's ICT lab and stole 77 tablets and 18 laptops which were donated by a non-governmental organisation from Holland.

The prosecutor noted that the devices were stolen with their accessories together with four digital cameras.

Police recovered 17 laptops from Mr Kassim's residence during several days after the theft was reported.

In their defence, the accused pleaded with the court for forgiveness, arguing that it was their first time to commit an offence.

Meanwhile, two other suspects were charged with dishonestly retaining the digital learning devices, knowing that the devices were unlawfully obtained.

Luvuno Ndegwa and Mohamed Kamshui denied the charges.

They were released on a Sh500,000 cash bail. The case will be heard on July 4.