A man has been sentenced to death for luring a boda boda rider into a trap and violently robbing him of his motorcycle while posing as a passenger.
Tigania Principal Magistrate Paul Wechuli ruled that Moses Kirimi was part of a three-man gang that robbed Boniface Mwika during last year’s Jamhuri Day.
The magistrate explained how the suspect was put at the scene of the crime through information from his mobile phone which he had used to pay for the victim’s fuel through M-Pesa.
The bodaboda rider had told the court how the suspect approached him at Muriri market and asked to be taken to Kandebene, which was about 18km away.
On reaching Kiare, on the Muriri-Isiolo road which was far from the initial destination, the suspect told Mwika that he had reached his destination and asked him to stop.
The victim was then approached by two other people on a motorcycle, armed with a panga and blocked his way, trying to harm him while Kirimi tried to snatch his motorcycle’s key.
While fearing for his life, the rider abandoned his motorcycle and fled.
Mwika was rescued by his brother and went to the filling station where the suspect had paid for fuel through M-Pesa where he was given the mobile number that made the transaction.
Police Constable Kennedy Karanja, who investigated the matter, told the court that he contacted Safaricom and received call data and details of the registered owner of the mobile phone.
