‘Mathe wa Ngara’, one other denied bail in bhang trafficking case

A Nairobi court has denied a bail request by Nancy Kigunzu alias Mathe wa Ngara, who is accused of trafficking drugs worth Sh18.3 million.

His co-accused Eugene Gumba suffered the same fate.

In granting the State’s application, Magistrate Njeri Thuku said Ms Kigunzu and Mr Gumba posed a flight risk.

“The prosecution has put forward strong and compelling reasons. It is not in the interest of justice to grant them bail,” she said.

However, their two other co-accused were granted bail. Ms Teresia Wanjiru was granted a Sh50,000 bail and required to also provide two contact persons, one of whom must be a blood relative.

The court also ordered her to report to the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) court within seven days for a social report.

The other accused, who is a minor, was also granted a Sh50,000 bail. The court remanded him to Kabete Children Care as no adult came forward to claim him.

The accused were charged on Monday with trafficking bhang and being in possession of money that the State says is proceeds of crime. The money is now in the custody of the State.

In an affidavit, investigating officer Stephen Chesire said that if the accused are released, they will abscond court. He also said they were planning to arrest key witnesses who, after being interviewed, could lead to further arrests.

“If they are released, they are likely to interfere with the investigation and the gathering of evidence,” he said.

But the defendants, through lawyer Danstan Omari, told the court that they couldn’t interfere with witnesses because they were all police officers.

“If the State allows its own officers to be compromised, then this country will become a banana republic,” Mr Omari said.