By Dorothy Musyoka
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), has sentenced a controversial Nairobi businesswoman Joyce Akinyi to 25 years in prison for her involvement in a high-profile drug trafficking case.
The sentencing, delivered on January 9, 2025, at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) court, also saw Akinyi fined Ksh. 9,018,000.
“In Count One, where the accused were found guilty of trafficking in narcotics, Akinyi was sentenced to 25 years imprisonment and a fine of 9,018,000, while Kalala was handed a 10-year sentence and a similar fine,” stated the ODPP.
Akinyi, alongside Congolese national Paulin Kalala and another accomplice, Peres Ochieng, was found guilty of orchestrating a well-coordinated drug trafficking scheme.
Kalala received a 10-year prison sentence and was fined a similar amount as Akinyi.
Ochieng, who remains at large with an active warrant for her arrest, was sentenced in absentia to 25 years in prison and fined Ksh. 7,927,740. Her sentence will commence upon her capture.
“In Count Two, Peres Ochieng, who remains at large with a warrant of arrest issued against her, was handed a 25-year sentence after she was found guilty of trafficking in narcotics and also ordered to pay a fine of Ksh. 7,927,740. She will serve her sentence upon her arrest,” added the ODPP.
Additionally, Akinyi was also convicted on a second count of possessing a passport without a valid explanation, receiving a two-year sentence.
However, the court ruled that Akinyi will serve both sentences concurrently.