[2022] KEHC 9788 (KLR)
The court held that Section 333(2) of the Criminal Procedure Code requires that any period spent in custody during the trial, before conviction and sentencing, must be taken into account when computing the sentence to be served. The period spent in prison after conviction is not to be considered for this purpose....
Source-derived case information.
- Citation
- [2022] KEHC 9788 (KLR)
- Parties
- Applicant: Julius Ainea Otukho; Applicant: Josephat Okwele Muyeyia; Applicant: Phillip Efesta Kenewa; Respondent: Republic
- Court
- High Court
- Court Station
- High Court at Kisumu
- Jurisdiction
- Kenya
- Case Number
- Miscellaneous Criminal Application E056 of 2021
- Procedural Posture
- Miscellaneous Criminal Application / Ruling on Sentence Review Under Section 333(2) of the Criminal Procedure Code
- Outcome
- Application allowed in part; applicants to be credited with one year and eleven months spent in custody during trial.
- Judges
- FA Ochieng
- Legal Topics
- Sentencing Review, Robbery With Violence, Section 333 2 Criminal Procedure Code, Credit for Pretrial Custody
- Source Language
- en
Source-derived case record
Summary, issues, holding and outcome
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Parties
Julius Ainea Otukho
Applicant
Josephat Okwele Muyeyia
Applicant
Phillip Efesta Kenewa
Applicant
Republic
Respondent
Procedural Posture
Miscellaneous Criminal Application / Ruling on Sentence Review Under Section 333(2) of the Criminal Procedure Code
Legal Issues
- 1 Whether the applicants are entitled to a further review of their sentences under Section 333(2) of the Criminal Procedure Code.
- 2 Whether the period spent in custody during trial should be credited against the applicants' sentences.
Ratio Decidendi
The court held that Section 333(2) of the Criminal Procedure Code requires that any period spent in custody during the trial, before conviction and sentencing, must be taken into account when computing the sentence to be served. The period spent in prison after conviction is not to be considered for this purpose. The applicants, having spent one year and eleven months in custody during trial, are entitled to have this period deducted from their thirty-year sentences. The court declined to consider post-conviction conduct or time served after conviction for further sentence reduction, limiting its review strictly to the statutory requirement.
Court Disposition
Application allowed in part; applicants to be credited with one year and eleven months spent in custody during trial.
Orders
- The prison authorities shall credit each applicant with one year and eleven months when computing the duration to be served for the thirty-year imprisonment sentence.
Full Case Text
Judgment text and source record
28 paragraphs
Otukho & 2 others v Republic (Miscellaneous Criminal Application E056 of 2021) [2022] KEHC 9788 (KLR) (13 July 2022) (Ruling)
Neutral citation: [2022] KEHC 9788 (KLR)
Republic of Kenya
In the High Court at Kisumu
Miscellaneous Criminal Application E056 of 2021
FA Ochieng, J
July 13, 2022
Between
Julius Ainea Otukho
1st Applicant
Josephat Okwele Muyeyia
2nd Applicant
Phillip Efesta Kenewa
3rd Applicant
and
Republic
Respondent
Ruling
1. On 24th February 2012 the three Applicants, Julius Ainea Otukho, Josephat Okwele Muyeyia And Philip Efesta Kenewa were sentenced to Death, following the conviction for the offence of Robbery with Violence.
2. Based upon the applicability of the judgement rendered by the Supreme Court in the celebrated case of Francis Karioko Muruatetu, the Court did review the sentences to thirty (30) years imprisonment.
3. The Applicants have now asked this court to further review the said sentence.
4. The present application is premised on Section 333 (2) of the Criminal Procedure Code.
5. Each of the Applicants has told the court that they have been well disciplined whilst in prison. They have also undertaken numerous faith-based courses.
6. However, I hold the view that when giving effect to the provisions of Section 333 (2) of the Criminal Procedure Code, the court must limit its consideration to only one factor; the length of time which each convict had spent in prison custody whilst he or she was still on trial.
7. Therefore, the period which the Applicants have spent in prison after conviction cannot be taken into account.
8. From the record of the proceedings, the Applicants spent the period of one Year and Eleven Monthsin custody, whilst they were on trial.
9. In the result, I order that when computing the actual duration which each of the Applicant is to serve the sentence of thirty (30) years imprisonment, the prison authorities will give them credit of one year and eleven months.
DATED, SIGNED AND DELIVERED AT KISUMUThis 13th day of July 2022. FRED A. OCHIENGJUDGE