Mathe wa Ngara’s Ksh.13M to be forfeited to the state, High Court rules

The High Court has ruled that over Ksh.13 million seized from businesswoman Nancy Kigunzu, also known as ‘Mathe wa Ngara’ be forfeited to the state.

'Mathe Wa Ngara' was arrested on August 21, 2023, in connection with a drug bust in Nairobi's Ngara area, where large quantities of bhang and Ksh.13.4 million in cash were seized.

After a court ruling on August 25, 2024, the money was transferred to the Central Bank of Kenya. The court ruled that the money was the proceeds of crime.

In a judgement delivered by Justice Esther Maina, the Milimani Anti-Corruption court in Nairobi noted that the money was proceeds of crime, hence it is in order for it to be forfeited to the state.

“Having found that the money is proceeds of crime, I have no alternative but to forfeit it to the state (the Government of Kenya) as per the provided,” the court ruled.

“The only reasonable conclusion that this court can draw is that the money was kept in that manner to avoid detection by the authorities. The money falls within the definition of proceeds of crime,” the court noted.