A 22 year old mother is to be hanged for attacking two men and robbing them of $5 (380 Kenyan shillings) and their identity cards.

The Kenyan High Court rejected Paulina Amana's appeal against the death sentence handed down in 1999 by a lower court.

She has she admitted two charges of armed robbery.

The attack for which she was sentenced took place in Eldoret, 400 kms west of Nairobi.

In Kenya, armed robbery - along with treason and murder - carries the death penalty.

Axes and machetes

The young woman was said to have carried out the robbery with three other women, armed with axes and machetes.

The police said they attached and robbed two men at night in a residential area. One of the men was struck in the face and left for dead.

Kenyans have resorted to mob justice to fight crime

In her appeal Ms Amana, who has one child, blamed her accomplices for leading her astray.

She also said she had not understood the language used in the court when she was originally found guilty.

Dismissing the appeal, Justice Roselyn Nambuye said the accused had been fully warned of the consequences of pleading guilty.

She said the appeal had been "deliberately crafted" to win her freedom.

Nairoberry

There has been a rising crime rate in Kenya blamed on economic hardship and increasing unemployment.

In the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, soaring crime levels have earned it the name "Nairobbery".

Its residents have become accustomed to almost daily reports of raids by armed gangsters on banks, shops and residences.

Many Kenyans resort to vigilante action against suspected criminals, beating or even killing them.