When the magistrate asked whether he had committed the offence, Kayima readily admitted the theft and pleaded for leniency.
Iganga Grade One Magistrate’s Court has sentenced a man to two years in prison for stealing maize worth Sh30,000, barely days after he was released from jail where he had served eight months for a similar offence.
Shamiru Kayima, a resident of Kasolo Village in Bulamagi Sub-county, Iganga District, pleaded guilty to stealing maize from a garden belonging to Betty Oboth in neighbouring Walugogo Village last week.
The court heard that Kayima sneaked into Oboth’s garden but was caught red-handed stealing the maize.
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His guilty plea reportedly surprised court attendants and Grade One Magistrate Ali Tibenkana, particularly because he had just been released from prison after serving a sentence for a similar offence.
When the magistrate asked whether he had committed the offence, Kayima readily admitted the theft and pleaded for leniency.
“Your Worship, I plead guilty. It is true I stole maize and ask for a lenient sentence of six months in jail,” Kayima told the court, prompting laughter among those attending the proceedings.
However, the prosecution asked the court to impose a stiffer sentence, arguing that Kayima had recently been released from prison after serving time for a similar offence.
In his ruling, Tibenkana noted that although Kayima had saved the court’s time by pleading guilty, he needed a longer period in prison to reform and become a responsible citizen.
The magistrate subsequently sentenced him to two years in prison.
“This vice must be stopped. Otherwise, you will die in mob justice,” the magistrate warned Kayima while passing the sentence.