Police free Wanjala after drug probe

Former Budalang’i MP Raphael Wanjala was last evening released from police custody after being held for more than 24 hours on suspicion of drug trafficking.

The former legislator was arrested in Isinya, along the Nairobi-Namanga highway, on Tuesday in the company of his lover Joyce Akinyi and three other people as they made their way back from Tanzania.

They were carrying two bags of a white substance, which police suspected to be narcotics, but which, they claim, were samples of maize flour sold in Tanzania.

Their lawyer Cliff Ombeta said the two had anticipated a looming maize shortage and had gone to Tanzania to get the samples in readiness for shipping in the product in case of shortage.

“They sampled all the things we had and there was nothing, then they said today, they’d be going to the government chemist. They are through with the results and I’m innocent,” Mr Wanjala said when he was released from Muthaiga Police Station. Ms Akinyi and the other suspects were also freed.

Ms Akinyi and Ms Susan Akoth, another suspect, had been taken to Mbagathi Hospital for a scan to determine if they had swallowed any drugs. The test was negative, according to Mr Ombeta.

Previously, Ms Akinyi and Mr Wanjala have been detained for months in an Indian prison on suspicion of being involved in money laundering, after they were arrested at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi with undeclared $100,000 (Sh8.5 million) in cash.

Separately, police on Wednesday arrested two Nigerians at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) after they emitted about 20 pellets containing a white powder suspected to be cocaine.

They were travelling from Sao Paulo, Brazil, to Yaunde, Cameroon, through Kenya, the JKIA criminal investigations boss Joseph Ngisa said.