JKIA, Nairobi –Three employees of Kenya Airways have each been sentenced to 25 years in prison for their roles in a heroin trafficking ring involving narcotics valued at over Sh60 million.
The conviction was secured by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) in a trial that lasted eight years.
The Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) Court delivered the judgment, sentencing cabin crew members Lennox Chengek Chestit and Alfric Odhiambo Otieno, alongside ground staffer Kenneth Sinzore Isundu.
Senior Principal Magistrate Njeri Thuku presided over the case, which concluded with not only lengthy custodial sentences but also heavy financial penalties. The court ordered each convict to pay fines ranging between Sh88 million and Sh90 million. Failure to pay these fines will result in an additional one-year prison sentence, which the magistrate ordered to run concurrently with their existing terms.
The convictions were based on two separate counts of trafficking narcotic drugs. In the first count, Chestit and Isundu were found guilty of trafficking 9,845.70 grams of heroin with an estimated street value of Sh 29,537,100.
The second count involved Otieno and Isundu, who were convicted for trafficking 20 kilograms of heroin worth Sh60 million. Magistrate Thuku ruled that the sentences for Isundu, who was implicated in both counts, would run concurrently.
The court firmly dismissed appeals from the defence for non-custodial sentences. Magistrate Thuku clarified that the court’s hands were tied by the stringent provisions of the law.
“All three asked the court for a non-custodial sentence, but the court is bound by the Community Service Orders Act. Drug trafficking offences do not fit the parameters for non-custodial sentencing,” she stated in her ruling.
Further reinforcing the severity of the crime, the court highlighted the profound reputational damage inflicted by the convicts’ actions on key national institutions.
“To see employees of Kenya Airways themselves involved in drug trafficking is more damaging than any of them possibly imagined,” Magistrate Thuku observed, noting their disregard for the trust placed in them.
The Director of Public Prosecutions, Renson Ingonga, hailed the judgment as a powerful affirmation of his office’s relentless campaign to dismantle drug trafficking networks, even when they operate within critical national establishments.
The DPP specifically commended the prosecution team comprising of Norah Otieno, Kennedy Panyako, and Rono Paula for their dedication, professionalism, and meticulous handling of the complex case over the past eight years.
“This verdict sends a clear message that no individual or institution is beyond the reach of the law,” the DPP declared. “The ODPP will continue to work tirelessly to protect Kenya’s borders, safeguard public institutions, and ensure that those who undermine national security face the full force of justice.”
At the time of their arrest, the ages of the convicts were 26 (Chestit), 27 (Otieno), and 45 (Isundu).
