Anti-narcotic police finds most controversial couple with 'maize flour'

Akinyi and Wanjala's white stuff puzzle police

By CYRUS OMBATI

Packets of alleged maize flour from Nairobi’s most controversial couple have puzzled Nairobi police.

They have told The Nairobian they cannot understand why former Budalang’i MP Raphael Wanjala and his lover Joyce Akinyi were found with what seemed to maize flour from Tanzania.

Wanjala, Akinyi and three others were on November 12 night arrested over drug trafficking claims at Isinya on Nairobi-Namanga highway.

They were however later released after tests found the white substance they had were not drugs but “maize flour”.

On November 14, police told The Nairobian they are still investigating the incident.

The five were carrying the white powder from Tanzania when they were stopped and arrested at a roadblock.

They said they imported the maize flour because of the looming food shortage in the country.  Their lawyer Cliff Ombeta said the two had anticipated a looming maize shortage and had gone to Tanzania to get the samples in readiness for shipping in the product in case of shortage.

Wanjala said: “They sampled all the things we had and there was nothing. They are through with the results and I’m innocent.”

Ombeta who arrived at the Muthaiga police station in efforts to free the five said the powder was yellow maize flour.

“They have tested and I believe they have found out there were no drugs. I do not know why they are still holding them,” said Ombeta.

Akinyi was taken to the Mbagathi Hospital for tests before she was returned to the station.

Head of anti-narcotics unit Hamis Masa said they are detaining the five for further investigations.

“We arrested five individuals including the former MP with a powder that we think is a drug. The powder has been sent to government chemists for further tests and analysis,” said Masa.

Other officials said the former MP and Akinyi have been on their radar of drug trafficking.

Wanjala and Akinyi have been in the news for some years now.

They were arrested and detained in India in 2008 for keeping Sh7.5 million that was undeclared at the New Delhi Airport.

They were released following intervention by Kenyan authorities.

India’s revenue intelligence department and the narcotics bureau said they were then investigating if the money was to be spent on drugs.

The authorities said the two refused to disclose their mission, more than 10 days after their  arrest.

Wanjala and Akinyi left Kenya through Uganda, in October 2008 and entered India from Dubai aboard an Emirates plane. Travellers to New Delhi have to declare any sums above $5,000 (Sh375,000).

When they were arrested, Wanjala and Akinyi had more than $100,000 (Sh7.59 million) in cash, all undeclared.

Akinyi, who is at the centre of a property tussle with her estranged and deported Nigerian husband Anthony Chinedu, travelled under a different name.

Chinedu was deported mid this year over allegations he was a drug trafficker.

When he was deported to Nigeria, he and other traffickers caused a storm at an airport forcing the grounding of a Kenyan chartered flight that took them there.

It took the intervention of authorities to have the plane and crew on board to be released.