Bhang smoking contest lands suspects in court

Five suspects who allegedly organised bhang smoking competition at Kenol Market when they were ordered by Kigumo court to remain in police custody for a week. [Boniface Gikandi]

Six people suspected of participating in a bhang smoking party were yesterday ordered to remain in police custody for seven days.

Peter Kiragu, Emma Wambui, Morris Ndung’u, Kennedy Oduor and Dominic Sitati were remanded by Kigumo Senior Resident Magistrate Agnetta Ogonda at Makuyu Police Station until July 8.

The suspects were found in possession of 81 rolls of bhang in a bar said to have hosted the competition.

Makuyu Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) officer Harun Kamuren, in his application, told the court that the suspects were arrested on Saturday night at Kenol Market.

The investigating officer told court police received intelligence reports that the group had met at a bar for the party said to have been organised through a WhatsApp group chat.

“Police are interested to establish the source of the bhang, and to be able to find out if a vehicle belonging to the bar owner was involved in the transportation of the bhang. Mobile phones of the suspects were also confiscated and forwarded to DCI Cyber Crime Unit for further analysis," the detective said in his application.

Another suspect, Dennis Maina Muthoni, who police said was arrested with 146 rolls of bhang, was also detained as police complete their investigations.

The court was told the suspect was found in possession of several rolls of bhang, which he was selling to other revelers inside the bar.

Others who were arrested in the swoop were charged with being drunk and disorderly and convicted to work within the court precincts for a day