Government goes after Mathe wa Ngara’s land, apartment and cars
The Assets Recovery Agency claims the properties are proceeds of crime and should be forfeited to the state.
The government has intensified efforts to recover assets allegedly acquired through the illicit drug trade, seeking to seize luxury vehicles, an apartment, and multiple parcels of land linked to Nancy Indoveria Kigunzu, popularly known as Mathe wa Ngara.
In a petition before the High Court, the Assets Recovery Agency (ARA) claims the properties are proceeds of crime and should be forfeited to the State. According to the agency, Kigunzu strategically transferred and registered some of the assets under the names of associates, allies, and close relatives in an attempt to obstruct investigations.
“The investigations have established that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the assets were obtained through illegitimate trade in narcotic drugs, hence proceeds of crime,” ARA said in its application.
A court order issued in November last year barred Kigunzu and her associates from selling, transferring, or engaging in any transactions involving the properties under scrutiny. The contested assets include a plot in Juja-Kalimoni registered under George Jumba Inguti, another in the same area listed under Inguti and Scolastica Wambui Kibathi and an apartment identified as Georgina in Juja-Kalimoni, Kiambu County.
Other parcels of land
Additionally, ARA has set its sights on four other parcels of land in Juja and three in Chavakali, Vihiga County.
Through lawyer Bernard Gitonga, the agency argues that Kigunzu deliberately registered the properties under proxies to obscure the origins of her wealth. The probe into her financial dealings was launched following her arrest in 2023 when she was charged with drug trafficking.
Authorities later raided her Juja apartment, uncovering narcotics and other contraband in a section labelled the “control room.” The operation led to further arrests, with the suspects facing charges related to drug trafficking.
ARA asserts that Kigunzu’s pattern of constantly shifting ownership and registering properties under different names signifies an effort to hide the financial gains derived from illicit trade.
This is not the first time the court has ruled against Kigunzu regarding allegedly ill-gotten wealth. Last year, she forfeited Sh13.4 million that was seized from her residence after the High Court classified it as proceeds of crime. While delivering the ruling, Justice Esther Maina noted that Kigunzu failed to explain the source of the money or justify why she stored large sums in sacks instead of banking it to earn interest.
The judge further observed that police officers recovered a substance from her home that was later confirmed to be cannabis sativa, a narcotic whose possession, use, and trafficking are criminal offences.
ARA maintains that Kigunzu used funds from drug sales to acquire and develop the targeted properties, arguing that her wealth stems from illegal activities linked to the narcotics trade.
The agency now awaits the High Court’s decision on whether the assets will be permanently seized by the State.
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