Court slaps University of Malawi student with 22 months custodial sentence for theft

The Chief Resident Magistrate’s Court in Zomba, has sentenced a University of Malawi student to 22 months imprisonment with hard labour for theft on university campus.

The court has sentenced 26-yea old University of Malawi (Unima) student, Martin Kachigayo to 22 months imprisonment for theft of a laptop and Redmi Note phone belonging to a first year student, Mayamiko Phiri.

Kachigayo, who is answering similar charges at the court after he was arrested for theft of other students’ laptops pleaded guilty to the charge.

He prayed for a non-custodial sentence so that he can sit examinations arguing that he was stealing because of poverty.

Chief Resident Magistrate Austin Banda said Kachigayo’s justification was not valid since there are a lot of needy students who do not engage in theft.

He further said, students who get used to stealing colleagues’ properties while in school are likely to turn into employees who plunder resources once they get a job.

Kachigayo is also expected to appear before Senior Resident Magistrate Mercy Bonongwe for sentencing in a similar offence.