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In a courtroom moment that left no room for doubt, a 38-year-old woman from Kuku compound shocked the court when she candidly admitted not only to trafficking marijuana—but also to smoking it.
Appearing before Lusaka Magistrate Kawama Mwamfuli, Irene Nkhata, 38, pleaded guilty without hesitation to the charge of trafficking in psychotropic substances.
“I was found with cannabis. It was mine,” she said, adding bluntly, “I was smoking.”
She offered no lawful justification for possessing the drugs.
According to facts presented in court, on February 27, 2025, officers from the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC)received a tip-off about suspected drug activity in Kuku compound. Acting on the information, they raided Nkhata’s residence and conducted a search.
The search yielded 66 sachets of suspected marijuana, some hidden in a white dish. Laboratory analysis later confirmed the contents to be cannabis weighing 114.6 grams.
As the court interpreter carefully counted each sachet aloud, Nkhata remained composed throughout the proceedings.
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During mitigation, she pleaded for leniency, telling the court she is a single mother of five and had already spent four months in custody.
“I am sorry. I will never repeat this. My children have suffered while I was in prison. As I go home, I will tell them and my friends not to do what I did,” she said.
In her judgment, Magistrate Mwamfuli noted that Nkhata was a first-time offender and took her remorse into account.
She sentenced her to one year of simple imprisonment, effective from the date of her arrest.
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