Defence lawyer Martina Swiga has poked holes in the prosecution’s evidence in the narcotics trafficking case against Nancy Indoveria Kigunzu, alias Mathe Wa Ngara, after a witness admitted during cross-examination that the only photographs presented in court as crime scene images were taken at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters.
The admission came as Swiga questioned the reliability and integrity of the prosecution’s evidence linking Kigunzu and her co-accused, Eugine Otiende Jumba, to the alleged trafficking of cannabis sativa worth Sh18.3 million.
The witness told the court that the DCI headquarters had effectively been converted into a secondary crime scene, with the photographs relied upon by the prosecution having been taken there rather than at the alleged point of arrest or recovery.
Swiga’s cross-examination focused on the circumstances surrounding the documentation and preservation of the alleged crime scene, raising questions over whether the prosecution had provided sufficient photographic evidence showing what happened at the original scene.
Kigunzu and Jumba are facing charges arising from an alleged drug trafficking incident said to have occurred on August 15, 2023, along Kipande Road in the Kariua area of Nairobi County.
According to the prosecution, the two were found trafficking 610 kilogrammes of cannabis sativa, which was said to have a market value of Sh18.3 million.
The prosecution further alleges that the two were found in possession of Sh13,474,520, which the State claims was proceeds of crime.
Kigunzu and Jumba have denied the charges and maintained their innocence. They have since been released on cash bail as the trial continues.
The case is being heard at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Law Courts, where the prosecution has lined up ten witnesses to testify against the accused persons.
The prosecution has so far presented Seven witnesses, leaving three witnesses to testify before it closes its case, according to the proceedings.
The latest proceedings centred on the evidence surrounding the alleged crime scene and the manner in which investigators documented and preserved evidence after the accused persons were arrested.
The defence has continued to scrutinise the prosecution’s evidence, with Swiga using cross-examination to test the credibility of witnesses and the procedures followed by investigators.
The issue of crime scene documentation is expected to remain significant as the defence seeks to establish whether the prosecution has sufficiently connected the accused persons to the alleged drugs and money.
The case has attracted considerable public attention owing to Kigunzu’s notoriety in the alleged narcotics trade. She is commonly known as Mathe Wa Ngara, a name that became widely associated with a major anti-narcotics operation in Nairobi.
The trial will resume on October 6, 2026, when the prosecution is expected to continue presenting its remaining witnesses.
Defence lawyer Martina Swiga has poked holes in the prosecution’s evidence in the narcotics trafficking case against Nancy Indoveria Kigunzu, alias Mathe Wa Ngara, after a witness admitted during cross-examination that the only photographs presented in court as crime scene images were taken at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters.
The admission came as Swiga questioned the reliability and integrity of the prosecution’s evidence linking Kigunzu and her co-accused, Eugine Otiende Jumba, to the alleged trafficking of cannabis sativa worth Sh18.3 million.
The witness told the court that the DCI headquarters had effectively been converted into a secondary crime scene, with the photographs relied upon by the prosecution having been taken there rather than at the alleged point of arrest or recovery.
Swiga’s cross-examination focused on the circumstances surrounding the documentation and preservation of the alleged crime scene, raising questions over whether the prosecution had provided sufficient photographic evidence showing what happened at the original scene.
Kigunzu and Jumba are facing charges arising from an alleged drug trafficking incident said to have occurred on August 15, 2023, along Kipande Road in the Kariua area of Nairobi County.
According to the prosecution, the two were found trafficking 610 kilogrammes of cannabis sativa, which was said to have a market value of Sh18.3 million.
The prosecution further alleges that the two were found in possession of Sh13,474,520, which the State claims was proceeds of crime.
Kigunzu and Jumba have denied the charges and maintained their innocence. They have since been released on cash bail as the trial continues.
The case is being heard at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Law Courts, where the prosecution has lined up ten witnesses to testify against the accused persons.
The prosecution has so far presented Seven witnesses, leaving three witnesses to testify before it closes its case, according to the proceedings.
The latest proceedings centred on the evidence surrounding the alleged crime scene and the manner in which investigators documented and preserved evidence after the accused persons were arrested.
The defence has continued to scrutinise the prosecution’s evidence, with Swiga using cross-examination to test the credibility of witnesses and the procedures followed by investigators.
The issue of crime scene documentation is expected to remain significant as the defence seeks to establish whether the prosecution has sufficiently connected the accused persons to the alleged drugs and money.
The case has attracted considerable public attention owing to Kigunzu’s notoriety in the alleged narcotics trade. She is commonly known as Mathe Wa Ngara, a name that became widely associated with a major anti-narcotics operation in Nairobi.
The trial will resume on October 6, 2026, when the prosecution is expected to continue presenting its remaining witnesses.
