The court has allowed an application by the police to detain Mathe Wa Ngara for five days to allow them to conclude investigations into drug trafficking.
JKIA Senior Principal Magistrate Njeri Thuku said the application made by the state to detain Nancy Kigunzu was merited and she allowed it.
Thuku directed that Mathe be detained at Muthaiga police station as had been asked by her lawyers because her two children are also being held there.
Mathe was arrested on Monday evening at her lawyer Danstan Omari’s offices in the CBD after weeks of being on the police radar.
The state had told court that they needed time to conclude investigations saying Mathe was a flight risk and had escaped arrest when police raided her home.
They further said that the sweets and cookies laced with drugs that were found in her house are yet to be analysed by the government chemist.
In his submissions to court, Omari had argued that his client was being wrongfully persecuted and she was only arrested because of public pressure on social media.
He told court that Mathe was never on the run and had even filed an anticipatory bail application before she was arrested.
Lawyer Martina Swiga in her submissions also defended their client saying the Sh 13 M allegedly recovered from her one roomed house was money from her legitimate hustle.
“There is no law in Kenya that prevents any person from keeping money in cash at their place of choice. This belief that is a proceed of crime has not been substantiated by state,” Swiga said.
However, the court was not persuaded by their arguments and allowed Mathe to be detained in police custody.
The court has also ordered the police to take her to medical check-up after her lawyers said she was unwell and the police had denied her access to her drugs.
The court heard that the suspect has a stomach condition that needs urgent medical attention.
The case will be mentioned on August 28.
