Four teenagers who were arrested by police and members of public after a pedestrian they had robbed in Dandora raised an alarm on Monday pleaded guilty to the robbery with violence charges twice despite warnings that the offence attracts the death sentence.
The four suspects aged between 16 and 17 were charged at the Makadara law courts with violent robbery.
They admitted the charges before chief magistrate Angelo Kithinji before two of them denied the charges after repeated warnings.
The four were jointly charged with robbing Victor Otieno Okwacho of the mobile phone valued at Sh14,300 and cash Sh4,000 while armed with knives and all agreed but later, two of them made a U-turn.
The teens, including some who are school-going, threatened to use actual violence during the 6am incident on March 20.
They confronted Okwacho along Councilor Opondo road and ordered him to surrender everything.
He obeyed and handed over his phone and cash after they brandished knives.
He later raised an alarm after the group started walking away, prompting police officers on patrol and members of public to accost them.
They were found with Okwacho’s phone.
They were to be charged with an alternative count of handling stolen property after they were allegedly found with the phone stolen from Okwacho but the same was not read out to them after they admitted the main charge.
They were to face accusations of dishonestly retaining the phone, knowing or having reasons to believe it to be a stolen property on the same day.
Kithinji granted them a Sh500,000 bond without an alternative of cash bail.
The case will be mentioned on April 6.
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