Mathee wa Ngara arrested again, accused of trafficking in cannabis worth Kes5.6 million

Over the weekend, officers from the Anti-Narcotics and Transnational Organised Crime Unit arrested businesswoman Nancy Kigunzu, better known as Mathee wa Ngara.

This arrest follows a previous indictment less than a year ago, when DCI detectives found over 100kg of marijuana in a locked garden in Ngara, Nairobi County. This time, Kigunzu was reportedly found with an undisclosed quantity of cannabis in an apartment in Juja.

Police suspect that the Georgina Apartment, where Kigunzu was arrested, is hers. They believe she moved from Ngara to Juja and ran a drug trafficking operation from two units in the building.

During a search that lasted more than 12 hours, officers seized six bags of marijuana, four vehicles and a motorcycle. Police towed the vehicles to the Juja police station for further investigation.

In addition, the operation led to the arrest of two other suspects: David Ochieng Okoth and Christopher Odipo.

On Monday, Kigunzu, Okoth and Odipo were arraigned in court. All three pleaded not guilty to trafficking 189,300 grams of cannabis, worth over Kes.5.6 million. They also face a second charge of conspiracy to traffic narcotics.

The prosecution opposed their release on bail, citing flight risk and lack of fixed abode. The court was also informed of Kigunzu’s previous similar offences.

However, Kigunzu, through her lawyer Danstan Omari, opposed the prosecution’s position, arguing that the offence was bailable and that there was no risk of flight.

The court has ordered the probation officer to prepare a report. The case will be heard on August 19, 2024, so that the report can be presented.

Kigunzu’s most recent arrest follows an incident in August 2023, when police seized a 100kg consignment of bhang from her base in Ngara. During that raid, authorities also seized Kes.13.4 million, which the court later ordered to be forfeited to the state.

Kigunzu was released in December 2023 on a Kes1 million bail.