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Presidents Uhuru Kenyatta and John Magufuli at the 19th Ordinary Summit of East African Community Heads of State in Munyonyo, Kampala, Uganda in February 2017- THE STANDARD
A District court in Tanzania has sentenced 26 Kenyans to one year in prison or a fine of Ksh23,000 two days after they entered Tanzania without valid permits.
Rombo District Court magistrate Baraka Kibululu said they had entered the country illegally since they did not have any passport.
"So for committing the crime the court sentenced them to one year in jail or pay a fine of Ksh23,000 each," said Kibululu.
File image of traders walking through the Oloitoktok-Tarakea border in May 2017. FILE
The 26 Kenyans were arrested on March 9 after Paschal Mayunga, the Assistant Inspector of Immigration received reports of non-locals spotted in Tanzania.
Mayunga later handed them to the police officers who arraigned them in court on March 10.
According to the acting magistrate, the accused confessed to committing the offense after they were arrested, hence informing the decision of the punishment
"Since all the accused have pleaded guilty to the offense and the court convicts all of them for the offense they were charged with," read part of the ruling.