Mathe Wa Ngara Arrested

Businesslady Nancy Indoveria Kigunzu, alias 'Mathe wa Ngara', has been arrested.

She was arrested on Monday, August 21 in connection to drug trafficking and possession during a police operation in Nairobi.

Viral Tea has learnt that Kigunzu was arrested by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) who were trailing her for hours and driven to the DCI headquarters for grilling ahead of her planned arraignment on Tuesday, August 22.

Detectives said she had been hiding since last Tuesday when police raided her den in Ngara.

Mathe wa Ngara sobbing uncontrollably following her arrest in Nairobi CBD on August 21, 2023. /TWITTER

When police raided a known drug den in the Kariowa slums Ngara area, Nairobi barely a week ago, they hoped to get her but ended up arresting a woman, Teresia Wanjiru, who has been described as a wrong suspect.

The place is popularly known as 'Kwa Mathe' (mum’s place) because of its popularity in terms of the supply of various narcotics and psychotropic substances. Others call it 'Kwa Mathe wa Ngara'.

'Kwa Mathe wa Ngara' is a known place, and is searchable online, and unlike other spots called 'Kwa Mathe', especially in informal settlements, the Ngara 'Mathe' appears to have more power, controls a larger swathe of the population, have more widespread influence.

Five years ago, at the 'Kwa Mathe' slums, men were filmed busy rolling marijuana blunts and revealing that, even little school-going boys were her clients. To the consumers and mules of the narcotics, the owner is a humble and caring woman who always understands their challenges.

A team of detectives from the Transitional Organised Crimes Unit backed by those from the Anti-Narcotics Unit and local ones had raided the den owned and run by 'Mathe wa Ngara' but they did not find her.

After police went public about the arrests and recoveries, those who know the woman swamped social media saying the real “Mathe” had not been arrested, with police later revealing that they were still looking for the 46-year-old woman.

The arrest came hours after Kigunzu moved to court to block her arrest, claiming she is a law-abiding Kenyan with a legitimate source of income.

"The applicant is of the firm belief that the timing of the arrest is designed to intimidate and ensure that she does not continue running her business here in Kenya," Kigunzu stated in her application.

"The powers of arrest by the 1st (DCI) and 2nd (IG Koome) respondents are being abused and misused to harass, intimidate and oppress the applicant."

She asked the court to issue an injunction pending a request for anticipatory bail. Anticipatory bail is issued to block the possible arrest of a suspect. 

She has been in the news over the past week after detectives busted drugs and about Ksh13.4 million in cash believed to be proceeds from drug trafficking.

Ksh13 Million stuffed in sacks recovered by police in Parklands on Tuesday, August 15. /DCI