A bus driver who was arrested while ferrying drunk students from Siakago Boys and Thingingi Girls has been sentenced to six years in prison after he pleaded guilty.
The suspect, Stephen Mwendwa, was apprehended after his bus was discovered in a shopping centre where it was hidden. Members of the public alerted the police about the incident, leading to the arrest of the students. The students from Embu are alleged to have been in possession of alcohol, bhang and 'muguka'.
Embu Senior Resident Magistrate Jean Ndengeri, however, gave Mwendwa an optional fine of Sh105,000. He will, therefore, avoid going to jail if he settles the stated fine.
The father of three was facing multiple charges, with one of them being driving without a PSV uniform at the time of his arrest on October 24 at Kiambuthi bypass area along Embu-Kiritiri road.
Secondly, Mwendwa is said to have used the Embu-Kiritiri road instead of the Nairobi-Allsops-Karibangi-Dandora rout as directed by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA). He was as a result charged with violating the Road Service License.
On the third count, Mwendwa was accused of driving a bus which was in poor condition. It is reported that the bus had defective seat belts and missing windows. It also did not have a valid speed governor.
Mwendwa requested the magistrate to spare him arguing that he had minimal control over the students.