Kenya Kwanza MCA Arrested With 6 Sacks Of Bhang Inside House

A sitting Member of the County Assembly in Isiolo County was on Thursday, December 21 arrested by detectives drawn from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) who accused him of dealing in marijuana.

In a statement, DCI revealed that the MCA was among two suspects arrested on the outskirts of Isiolo town by a multi-agency team supported by officers from the Transnational Organized Crimes Unit. 

"Today, on the outskirts of Isiolo town, Transnational Organized Crimes Unit officers and a multi-agency team arrested two suspected drug traffickers, 25 and 27, thereby recovering 57 stones of bhang stashed in a house," stated the DCI in part.

Gunny bags containing bhang seized from two suspects in Isiolo County on December 21, 2023. /DCI

The two were flagged down within Isiolo town while driving a Toyota Land Cruiser before the team proceeded to the house of one of the suspects at Kambi Garba Estate on the outskirts of Isiolo town.

It was here that six gunny bags containing the 57 stones of the prohibited herb were recovered. 

The exhibits have since been escorted to the DCI headquarters for further processing as the suspects undergo investigative interviewing.

"So far, the detectives have established that the 2nd suspect is a sitting MCA for Chari Ward in Isiolo County," added the DCI.

The arrested MCA was elected on a United Democratic Movement (UDM) Ticket, which is linked with the Kenya Kwanza coalition.

The political outfit decamped from the Azimio la Umoja opposition coalition to the ruling coalition in August 2022, barely two weeks after losing the General Election.

In the election, UDM clinched a total of 45 seats among them Mandera Governor Mohamed Adan and Wajir's Khalif Mohamud Ali.

The DCI did not at the time of publishing this story reveal the street value of the contraband, its seizure coming amidst heightened efforts in the war against illegal drugs.

In October, police seized 26 bags of bhang worth Ksh6 million, suspected stolen electronics and a slaughtered goat from a church in Ongata Rongai, Kajiado County.

The seizure came after angry members of the public had trailed a stolen goat that led them to African B Church, where they ambushed the suspects who were preparing to cook the slaughtered goat.

A consignment of cannabis sativa seized on October 25, 2023, before being set on fire in Marsabit County. /DCI