Controversial businesswoman Joyce Akinyi has been sentenced to 25 years imprisonment after she was convicted in a high-profile drug trafficking case .
The sentencing, delivered on Friday January 9, 2025 by the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) court, came after the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) secured a conviction against Akinyi who was widely reported in the press for being a lover to the Budalangi MP and two co-accused persons: Paulin Kalala, a Congolese national, and Peres Ochieng, who is currently on the run.
In the first count, Akinyi and Kalala were found guilty of trafficking narcotics. Akinyi received a 25-year prison sentence and a fine of Ksh.9,018,000, while Kalala was handed a 10-year sentence with the same fine.
Peres Ochieng, who remains at large with a warrant issued for her arrest, was sentenced in absentia to 25 years in prison and fined Ksh.7,927,740. She will begin serving her sentence upon capture.
Additionally, Akinyi faced a second count for possession of a passport without valid justification, earning her an additional two years in prison.
The court however ruled that the two sentences would run concurrently.
