Controversial Nairobi businesswoman Joyce Akinyi has been sentenced to 25 years in prison by the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) court after conviction for drug trafficking.

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) secured a conviction against Akinyi and two others - Paulin Kalala and Peres Anyango Ochieng - who have been linked to a drug trafficking syndicate.

In Count One, the accused were found guilty of trafficking in narcotics and Akinyi sentenced to 25 years in jail with a fine of Sh9,018,000, while Kalala (a Congolese national) received a 10-year sentence and a similar fine.

Further, Akinyi was found guilty of possession of a passport without a valid explanation and sentenced to two years in prison, which she will serve concurrently with the other sentence.

Kalala’s sentence was reduced by five years and six months owing to time already served in custody from the time the trial commenced back in July 2019.

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In Count Two, Anyango, who remains at large with an arrest warrant issued against her, got a 25-year prison sentence after being found guilty of trafficking in narcotics and she was ordered to pay a fine of Sh7,927,740.

She has failed to attend court since December 2023 and she is expected to serve her sentence when she is arrested.

“During the course of the trial, specifically after the court delivered a ruling that all three had a case to answer, Peres stopped coming to court,” revealed Magistrate Thuku.

In her ruling, Senior Principal Magistrate Njeri Thuku told the court that Anyango might be using an alias to continue operating in the country.

“Joyce and Peres, prior to their arrest, were at the top of the drug trafficking chain. Essentially, they were drug barons,” the magistrate added.