From the Garbage Pit to Grace: The Hawker Who Lied to Hide His Shame

An Indian national and electronics hawker has been handed down a one-year suspended sentence for cheating the police, claiming that he had been robbed of his motor vehicle at gunpoint by several gangsters.

Kishan Sachania was handed down the suspended sentence by a Milimani Chief Magistrate who showed mercy due to his age, being 58 years old.

The magistrate informed the convict that she would impose the suspended 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 close relatives were domiciled in the United Kingdom. The probation office also said the offence he had committed was serious.

Lawyer Oliver Tangara, who is retained by a conglomerate of hotels and a group of companies, informed the court that the Hotel where the convict had been sneaking to spend the nights at the garbage pit has offered him a job, reasonable accommodation, and food 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 some job, accommodation, and food until he completes the suspended sentence on humanitarian grounds,” the lawyer told the court.

Imposing the verdict, the magistrate warned the convict of dire consequences should he commit another offence while on suspended sentence.

“If you commit another offence while on the suspended sentence, then if you are presented before the court, you will be penalised twice. You will be committed to serve the suspended sentence first, then punished for the fresh offence,” Chief Magistrate Dolphina Alego cautioned the convict.

She further told him that the offence of giving false information to the police is grave and attracts a harsh custodial sentence.

However, the magistrate asked the convict to thank the Hotel that had come to his rescue and observe the law.

Sachania admitted that he cheated the police to cover up his shame of being chased from the garbage pit due to lack of funds.

He admitted to cheat the police to cover up the shame of spending nights in the garbage pit from where the security guards kicked him out.

He pleaded guilty to a charge of giving false information to Police Constable Woman (PCW) Elizabeth Wambui on December 10, 2025, at the Parklands Police Station.

The prosecution told the court that the accused lied to PC Wambui that he was attacked by gun-toting robbers who made away with his motor vehicle registration number KAC 539M.

Following that claim, the officer entered the information in the Occurrence Book, then circulated it to all police stations within the Republic of Kenya and border posts.

The magistrate heard that Sachania was asked to take the police to where he had been parking the vehicle at the city hotel, where he claimed he had been putting up.

The police wanted to get CCTV footage from the Hotel to assist them in tracking the alleged stolen vehicle.

When they visited the hotel for investigation, the crime detectives were shocked to learn that Sachania had been kicked out of the hotel for sleeping in the garbage pit.

The convict informed the court that he hawks various electronic items in Westlands, Parklands, and High Ridge areas within Nairobi.

“I hawk various electronic items like light bulbs, etc. I source orders from clients, then I buy and supply them to eke out a living,” Sachania responded.

He said he ran out of funds, was kicked out of the city hotel, and then decided to cheat the police to cover up his shame.

He told the court that, “My parents died many years back. I have a daughter who resides in the United Kingdom (UK). I also have two sisters who also reside in the UK, but please do not involve them. It will embarrass them. Let me handle this alone. Please forgive me.”

Sachania had pleaded with the court not to be sent to prison, confessing he was frail.

He expressed joy and gratitude to the court for not sending him to jail and promised to observe the law.