‘I fell in love and forgot my visa,’ Sierra Leone woman tells court

A Sierra Leonean woman charged with illegal stay in Kenya sparked laughter in an Eldoret court, saying she fell in love and forgot to renew travel documents.

The accused, Hawa Sam, admitted the offence and pleaded for leniency.

Eldoret senior resident magistrate Daniel Sitati fined her Sh50,000 or, in default, one month in prison.

He also ordered that she be repatriated to her country after paying the fine or completing the jail term.

“Because of your mitigation, I will impose a fine of Sh50,000 or a one-month jail term, after which you will be returned to Sierra Leone,” said the magistrate, adding that she had the right to appeal.

Sam was charged that on or before April 16, at Teleview in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu county, she was found unlawfully present in Kenya without a valid permit, contrary to the Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Act No. 12 of 2010.

“It is true, your honour,” she told the court when the charge was read.

In mitigation, Sam said she had come to Kenya on holiday but ended up in a romantic relationship, which led her to overlook the expiry of her visa. Her remarks sparked laughter in the packed courtroom.

“I was so impressed by the environment that I fell into a relationship and forgot my documents had expired,” she said.

The court was further amused when she pointed out her boyfriend in the gallery, who stood up to confirm the relationship.

“Your honour, I can confirm she is my girlfriend,” said the man, who did not disclose his name.

Sam apologised and asked for forgiveness, promising not to repeat the mistake if allowed to visit Kenya again.

The magistrate cautioned her to ensure her documents are always valid when travelling to avoid similar trouble in future.

Friends who accompanied her helped raise the fine to keep her out of custody. Some indicated they may challenge the deportation order to allow her to regularise her stay.

In a separate case before the same court, 29-year-old businesswoman denied a charge of obtaining Sh55,000 by false pretence in a chicken feed deal.

She is accused of obtaining the money from Ian Cheruiyot on February 28, in Kipsoya, Uasin Gishu county, falsely claiming she could supply chicken feed.

She pleaded not guilty and was released on a bond of Sh50,000 with two sureties or a cash bail of Sh20,000.

The case will be mentioned on April 27.