A Nairobi court deferred sentencing after a man pleaded guilty to stealing railway equipment from the Kenya Railways Central Workshop.
Chief Magistrate Dolphina Alego ordered that a pre-sentence report be prepared and presented to the court on January 8, 2026.
The accused, Josphat Kamau Chege, admitted that on January 4, 2026, at about 3:00 pm, he stole three radiator grills used in a locomotive train, valued at Sh40,566, property of the Kenya Railways Corporation.
According to the prosecution, railway security officers were on routine patrol within the central workshop area near Gate A and Bliss Medical Centre when they heard unusual noise.
They moved towards the scene and found Chege hiding under a tree near the perimeter fence while carrying a bag.
The prosecution told the court that the accused attempted to escape upon spotting them but was quickly apprehended.
A search of the bag recovered the three radiator grills, which were later identified as having been removed from a locomotive within the workshop.
Chege was arrested and escorted to a police station where the incident was formally reported.
In mitigation, the accused told the court that he believed the items were discarded materials and asked the court for leniency, expressing remorse for his actions.
Meanwhile, Magistrate Alego allowed an application by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to detain a murder suspect for 21 pending investigations.
The suspect, Erick Kamande Muthoni alias Erico, is being investigated over the murder of Dickson Gitonga Muriuki alias Kanyiri.
In the miscellaneous application, the DCI allege that the murder was reported at Ngara Police Station.
The suspect was arrested on January 5, 2026, and booked at Central Police Station under OB number 93/05/01/2026.
The DCI through Corporal Antony Kerini, told Chief Magistrate Dolphina Alego that the suspect is a street dweller with no known fixed place of abode, no known family members or contact persons, and does not own or use a mobile phone.
Kerini argued that these circumstances present a high risk of absconding if the suspect is released on bail or bond.
According to Kerini, the incident occurred on August 15, 2025, at around 2:00 a.m., near the Tsunami footbridge in Ngara.
The matter was reported by Mercy Wanjiku Wambui, who alleged that she was walking from Tsunami Market towards Nairobi’s Central Business District in the company of the deceased when they were attacked by the suspect, who was allegedly joined by other accomplices still at large.
During the attack, the deceased was reportedly struck with a sharp object, sustaining fatal injuries.
The DCI further told the court that investigations are at a crucial stage and that the suspect has voluntarily indicated willingness to cooperate with investigators by leading them to the recovery of the alleged murder weapon and to the arrest of his co-suspects, who are believed to be hiding in Isiolo and Nanyuki.
Kerini argued that releasing the suspect at this stage would seriously prejudice investigations, as he is the only available lead to the arrest of the remaining suspects.
Police also expressed concern that the suspect could interfere with investigations by facilitating the disappearance of a key witness, who is said to be his close associate.
Additionally, the court heard that at the time of the suspect’s arrest, members of the public were baying for his blood, forcing officers to fire shots in the air to disperse a hostile crowd.
Kerini said releasing him on bail or bond would jeopardize his personal safety.
“Due to the nature of the offence, being a serious felony punishable by law, and considering the respondent’s circumstances, it is in the interest of justice and public safety that the respondent be held in custody at central police station for a period of 21 days to enable the applicant complete investigations,” said Kerini.
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