Kishan Sachania in court.
A 58-year-old has been slapped with a one-year suspended sentence for lying to police that he had been robbed of his motor vehicle at gunpoint.
Kishan Sachania was handed the sentence by a Milimani court after considering his age.
The magistrate informed the convict that she will impose the verdict “even though a probation report she had called for was not favourable to him.”
In the report, the probation office had proposed a custodial sentence since the convict had no known fixed abode and his closest relatives are in the UK. The report also noted that the offence he had committed was serious.
But lawyer Oliver Tangara, who had been hired by a conglomerate of hotels and a group of companies, informed the court that the hotel where the convict had been sneaking to spend nights at its garbage pit has offered him a job and accommodation until he completes the sentence.
“Due to his age, I urge this court to impose a non-custodial sentence. The convict should not be sent to prison due to his current social status. The hotel where he had been sneaking to spend the night in a very unpleasant place has volunteered to offer him a job, accommodation and food until he completes the suspended sentence on humanitarian grounds,” Mr Tangara told the court.
Mr Sachania had admitted before court that he cheated police about being carjacked after being chased away by hotel security guards. The guards had pursued him for being a security threat to visitors of the hotel. On reaching the station, where he sought refuge from the guards, he told the tale of being carjacked.
While imposing the verdict, the magistrate warned him of dire consequences should he commit another offence while on suspended sentence. A suspended sentence is a jail term which one serves while outside of prison custody.
“If you commit another offence, you will be penalised. You will be committed to serve the suspended sentence first then punished for a fresh offence," Chief Magistrate Dolphina Alego cautioned the convict.
The court further told him that the offence of giving false information to the police is very serious. The magistrate then asked the convict to thank the hotel for coming to his rescue.
Covering-up shame
Kishan Sachania in court.
Mr Sachania admitted that he cheated police to cover-up the shame of being chased from the hotel's garbage pit due to lack of funds.
He pleaded with the magistrate not to involve his daughter and two sisters residing in the UK.
“I beg for compassion. I chose to cheat the police to cover-up my shame of spending nights in the garbage pit from where I was kicked out by security guards.”
Mr Sachania pleaded guilty to a charge of giving false information to Police Constable Elizabeth Wambui on December 10, 2025 at the Parklands Police Station. A prosecuting counsel told the court he lied to Ms Wambui that he was attacked by gun-toting robbers who made away with his car.
Following that claim, police entered the information in the Occurrence Booked then circulated it to all border posts and police stations in Kenya.
Ms Alego heard Mr Sachania was asked to take police to where the car had been parked at the city hotel, where he claimed he had been putting up. Police had wanted to get CCTV footage from the hotel, only to learn he had been thrown out of its premises.
“When police and the accused visited the hotel for investigation, the detectives were shocked to learn that Mr Sachania had been kicked out of the hotel for sleeping in the garbage pit,” the court heard.
Asked by the magistrate what he does for a living, Mr Sachania confessed that he hawks electronics within Westlands, Parklands and High Ridge areas.
“I hawk various electronic items like light bulbs et cetra. I source orders from clients then I buy and supply them to eke a living. Sometimes l lack," he responded.
He said he ran out of funds, was kicked out of the hotel then decided to cheat police to cover-up his shame.
“Do you have relatives in Kenya? Where are your parents?” Ms Alego asked.
In answer, Mr Sachania revealed: “My parents died many years back. I have a daughter who resides in the UK. I have two sisters who also reside there. But please do not involve them. It will embarrass me and them. Let me handle this alone. Please forgive me.”
Mr Sachania had pleaded with the court not to be sent to prison as he was frail. Mr Tangara, who offered to defend him probono (for free), prayed to have the convict admitted to bail.
He expressed joy and gratitude to the court for not sending him to jail. He also thanked the hotel for offering him a job, accommodation and food.
“I promise this court I will be careful and I will observe the law,” Mr Schania stated as he bowed as a show of respect to the court.
