Nancy Kigunzu, who has come to be known publicly as the real “Mathe wa Ngara”, has denied reports that she was evading authorities for over a week prior to her arrest on Monday, as stated by her lawyer Danstan Omari.
In an effort to clarify the anticipatory bail he filed for Kigunzu, Omari conveyed that detectives were cognizant of her whereabouts and movements and that she had even engaged in phone communication with them.
According to Omari, Mathe wa Ngara conversed with the police twice, including just moments before she was apprehended by detectives during the prior night.
“The assertion that she was in hiding, as claimed by the police, is unsubstantiated. One cannot be simultaneously in hiding while actively communicating with the very individuals who are seeking us,” said Omari.
Nancy Kigunzu initially reached out to a female police officer stationed at Muthaiga Police Station and notified the officer that the individual arrested under the alias Mathe wa Ngara on suspicions of drug distribution was wrongly apprehended.
In her phone conversation, she expressed regret to the 54-year-old detainee and requested the police to release her, arguing that the accusations held no foundation and lacked credibility.
Kigunzu further claims that her competitors within her business field have been falsely accusing her of drug trafficking with the intention of diverting her attention from her legitimate enterprises in Nairobi.
As per Omari’s explanation, the second phone call was made on August 21 to the same police station.
However, the exact nature of the discussions between Kigunzu and the police remained undisclosed.
Contrary to prior media reports, Kigunzu is depicted as a well-connected entrepreneur with substantial associations and contacts within the police service.
Omari recounted that his client consistently maintained contact with her internal sources and considered herself innocent and honorable, in contradiction to the police’s claims.
Subsequent to Kigunzu’s arrest, Omari sought to expedite a decision on the anticipatory bail request he had previously submitted.
However, her arrest at a Nairobi hotel preempted this endeavor.
Omari, who recently faced disappointment in his bid to secure the Director of Public Prosecution nomination, aimed to compel the court into initiating a judicial review of his application.
In a separate development, officials from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) convened on Tuesday August 22 to review the amassed evidence in readiness for the prosecution of Kigunzu.
On August 14, 2023, police conducted a raid within the Ngara slum in Nairobi, recovering an undisclosed quantity of cannabis and Ksh13 million in cash contained within gunny sacks.
The authorities also alleged that the actual Mathe wa Ngara went into hiding after evading their efforts.
