A refugee convicted of robbing a girl of an Infinix phone valued at Sh10,700 in the Kakuma refugee camp has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after the High Court upheld his conviction.
Justice Reuben Nyakundi of the High Court in Lodwar confirmed that Wayne Sadam, a South Sudanese refugee, was correctly convicted and sentenced by the magistrate’s court. Sadam was charged with robbery with violence for the incident on January 2, 2022, where he, along with others, forcibly took the phone from Francine Ndaviyenurukiye.
Ndaviyenurukiye testified that she was attacked by three men while retrieving her father’s phone. One attacker assaulted her while the others stole the phone and fled. Despite her attempts to fight back and seek help, the attackers escaped.
Sadam, who initially identified himself as from the Dinka tribe before changing his claim to Nuer, and who also provided conflicting accounts of his residence within the camp, was arrested and later found guilty by Principal Magistrate Charles Mayamba. He received a 20-year sentence.
Sadam appealed to the High Court, arguing that the trial magistrate erred by not properly identifying him and failing to present stolen items as evidence, and by disregarding his defense.
Justice Nyakundi, however, found the trial court’s judgment sound, affirming that the elements of robbery with violence were well established. The judge upheld the 20-year sentence, which will run from the date of conviction, July 7, 2022.
