A young man arrested with nine rolls of bhang in his possession stunned the court by boldly pleading guilty, claiming the cannabis helps him chase away birds from the vast rice farms in Mwea.
Brian Macharia was fined KSh 10,000, or in default, to serve six months’ imprisonment by Principal Magistrate Martha Opanga at the Wang’uru Law Courts in Kirinyaga County.
Macharia shocked those in attendance when he admitted to smoking the illegal substance, claiming it enables him to chase away birds from the Mwea rice farms, as their destruction has been causing havoc on his family’s rice farm.
According to the charge sheet presented in court, Macharia was found on January 9, 2026, at Kiriko village in Mwea East Sub-County within Kirinyaga County, in possession of nine rolls of cannabis valued at KSh 960. The substance was not for medical use, contrary to the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Control Act No. 4 of 1994.
During the plea-taking, Macharia, as reported by local publications, pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis. In mitigation, he expressed remorse, stating that he had thought smoking weed was legal.
According to Macharia, puffing cannabis helps him stay sharp, alert, and persistent enough to spend long hours in the field chasing away the birds that threaten food security in the region.
“The drug has been helping me chase away quelea birds, which has cost local farmers extra money to purchase scarecrows or bang tins,” he told the court.
