Two people were yesterday charged with stealing goods worth Sh2.6 million which were on transit to Kampala from Mombasa. Paul Gitau and Mary Wangare denied several counts of stealing before senior principle magistrate Richard Odenyo.

The two are alleged to have stolen 60 drums and 180 pails of gadus grease valued at Sh1.6 million. The goods belong to Shell Uganda.

Police impounded the two containers at Mikindani area in Changamwe district on February 12 along Mombasa-Nairobi highway. According area police boss Otieno Awour the containers were diverted as they headed to Uganda.

"The trailer that was ferrying the consignment was found abandoned at Kaloleni district after the owner the goods reported the incident to the police," said Awour on Wednesday.

He said detectives recovered the one of the containers within the Mombasa central business district. It had been opened and almost all the utensils in it were missing. The otherwas impounded within a residential area in Mikindani.

The two are also alleged to have stolen 10,969 pieces of assorted porcelain utensils valued at Sh1 million belonging to M/S AFRI-ASIA ENT (U) ltd.

Wangare faced an alternative charge of handling stolen porcelain utensils on February 19 which she knew to have been stolen. The two are alleged to have committed the offence on February 12 at night.

The case prosecutor did not object to the accused application to be released on bond. The court released the two on a Sh500,000 surety bond each. The case will be heard on May 5.