Seven KDF Soldiers Accused Of Stealing Meth From Sh192 Million Mombasa Bust Detained For 10 More Days

MOMBASA – A Mombasa court has ordered seven Kenya Defence Forces soldiers to remain in custody for an additional 10 days as investigators race to unravel a narcotics trafficking ring that has sent shockwaves through the military establishment and raised disturbing questions about the integrity of Kenya’s war on drugs.

The detention order, handed down by Senior Resident Magistrate Gladys Ollimo, comes as forensic teams work to piece together evidence that could potentially expose a wider network of military personnel involved in methamphetamine distribution along the coast.

The seven soldiers were arrested on December 11 in a carefully coordinated operation that brought together detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations headquarters and Mombasa regional command.

The suspects, identified as Duke Nyamwaya, Juma Mwinyifaki, Michael Kariuki, Elijah Mbogo Gacog’u, James Ekiru, Abdulrehman Salad, and Abdirahman Abdi Kuno, now face accusations that threaten to unravel their careers and cast a dark shadow over the Kenya Defence Forces at a time when public trust in security institutions hangs by a thread.

They stand accused of trafficking 25 kilograms of methamphetamine, found packaged in distinctive whitish crystalline packets that bear an eerie resemblance to a much larger seizure that made international headlines just weeks ago.

According to court documents presented by the prosecution, the arrests followed intensive surveillance operations that led investigators to the homes and workplaces of the suspects.

What they discovered has amplified concerns that Kenya’s military may have been penetrated by the very drug cartels it is meant to combat.

Raids on the soldiers’ residences yielded not just additional narcotics but also 11 mobile phones of various brands including Redmi, Tecno, Itel, Samsung Galaxy, Vivo, and Oppo models, devices that prosecutors believe hold the key to unlocking a sophisticated trafficking network.

The phones, now in the hands of forensic analysts, are expected to reveal communication patterns, financial transactions, and potentially the identities of other players in what investigators suspect is a well-organized operation.

Magistrate Ollimo granted the Anti-Narcotics Unit’s request to conduct comprehensive forensic analysis on all recovered electronics, a process that could take days and requires specialized expertise.

Investigating officer PC Isaac Njoroge told the court that the seized drugs are yet to be weighed, sampled, and subjected to laboratory analysis.

The delay in processing the narcotics, which the prosecution attributed to logistical constraints at the time of arrest, has created an urgent need for more time to complete the investigations.

But it is the potential connection to a far more explosive scandal that has security officials on edge.

The timing of these arrests is no coincidence.

They come barely a month after the Kenya Navy intercepted a stateless dhow approximately 630 kilometers off the coast of Mombasa, recovering what authorities initially described as 1,024 kilograms of methamphetamine with an estimated street value of Sh8.2 billion.

That operation, dubbed Bahari Safi 2025.01, was hailed as one of Kenya’s most significant narcotics busts, a triumph of multi-agency cooperation involving the Kenya Navy, Kenya Coast Guard, and international partners including surveillance teams from Seychelles and Madagascar.

But the celebration was short-lived.

Last week, intelligence operatives arrested a woman in Mombasa who was found dealing crystal meth in packages that bore striking similarities to those seized in the October operation.

The suspect’s identity sent alarm bells ringing through the corridors of power.

She was married to an active KDF soldier and connected by marriage to a sitting Member of Parliament.

Officers also recovered approximately Sh700,000 in cash believed to be proceeds from the illegal trade.

The woman’s arrest triggered a cascade of revelations that have forced the Kenya Defence Forces into damage control mode.

Military Police immediately took custody of the suspect, transferring her to a KDF facility for intensive interrogation.

Multiple military personnel linked to the October interception have since been placed under investigation, with sources indicating that some may face court martial proceedings if allegations of misconduct are proven.

On December 2, the KDF issued a rare public statement acknowledging that some of its personnel were under investigation for allegedly stealing and concealing a portion of the October meth haul.

The military insisted that the declared cache of 1,024 kilograms remained intact and under round-the-clock guard by a multi-agency team, but confirmed that disciplinary and legal action would follow if wrongdoing was established.

Security officers familiar with the probe have painted a troubling picture of what may have transpired during the October operation.

They believe that rogue soldiers may have siphoned off part of the shipment on the high seas, before the dhow was towed to Mombasa Port, concealing packages of the 98 percent pure methamphetamine that had been disguised in bags labeled as premium Arabica coffee.

The involvement of serving military personnel in narcotics trafficking has unsettled national security officials and raised concerns about operational trust between Kenya and foreign agencies that provide critical intelligence and support for maritime interdiction missions.

The scandal threatens to complicate Kenya’s cooperation with international partners at a time when the Indian Ocean route has become a crucial corridor for drug cartels moving narcotics between the Arabian Peninsula and East Africa.

The six Iranian nationals arrested during the October operation, Jasem Darzaen Nia, Nadeem Jadgai, Imran Baloch, Hassan Baloch, Rahim Baksh, and Imtiyaz Daryayi, remain in custody under a court order allowing investigators an additional 21 days to complete their probe.

They face trafficking charges related to the methamphetamine shipment, which forensic analysis by the government chemist confirmed to be of exceptionally high purity.

Back in the Mombasa courtroom, prosecutors Yassir Mohammed and Brenda Oganda urged Magistrate Ollimo to consider the matter’s public interest and the need for a thorough investigation.

They argued that releasing the seven soldiers could lead to witness interference, destruction of digital evidence, or coordination with accomplices who remain at large.

The court agreed, citing the high value of the seized drugs, the technical nature of forensic processes, and the possibility that the suspects might abscond if released.

The case is set to be mentioned on December 22 for further directions. But for the Kenya Defence Forces, the damage has already been done. What was meant to showcase the military’s capability in combating transnational crime has morphed into a scandal that threatens to expose rot within the ranks of those sworn to protect the nation.

The question now is not whether drugs were stolen, but how deep the corruption runs and how many more uniforms hide criminal intent.

As investigators dig deeper into phone records, bank accounts, and trafficking routes, Kenya waits to see whether this scandal represents isolated acts of greed or something far more systemic.

The answer could reshape public perception of the military and force a reckoning with the uncomfortable truth that sometimes, the enemy operates from within.