Party official drugs guards at Nairobi building

      William Cherusi(L) and Jevanu Chemingwa(R)    Photo:Courtesy/Standard

An official of Deputy President William Ruto’s United Republican Party, George Ayugi is facing possible arrest after he allegedly distributed biscuits laced with drugs to security guards manning Trans National Bank building in Nairobi.

Ayugi, popularly known as Mbuta, is said to have arrived to park his car around the building along Mama Ngina Street on Monday when he allegedly gave the guards the cookies.

 It is then that the guards started complaining of fatigue, high temperature and dizziness after eating the biscuits. Two of the guards from the First Force Security were rushed to a Nairobi hospital where they were admitted overnight.

The guards are Jevanu Cheminingwa and William Cherusi and were treated and discharged from Nairobi West Hospital. Ayugi’s car was then detained by the guards.

The matter was reported at International Life House Police Station, which is adjacent to the building. Investigators are seeking to know the motive of the alleged drugging, with proprietors of the building saying the incident may have been used as an attempt to break into the offices of a prominent city businessman. Ruto’s private office is also housed on the 9th floor of the same building. Central OCPD Patrick Oduma said his officers are investigating the claims with an aim of taking action on the accused person. He added a complaint had been lodged with them that the guards had been fed with laced drugs and they were investigating.

“They have given us a sample of the biscuits and we will test them to establish if they are laced with any drug that may have caused the problem with the guards. We are informed they started feeling dizzy, headache and other arousal in their bodies,” said Oduma.

On Tuesday, Ayugi who is the National Organising Secretary of Ruto’s URP denied any wrong doing, but confirmed giving out the biscuits that he bought in Netherlands.

“These are cookies that I bought at Schiphol International Airport when I was returning home from The Hague, they did not contain any drug as alleged,” he said.

The URP official said he has traditionally parked his car at the same place, and most of the guards are known to him and thus he could not harm them.  “I gave them the biscuits in the mid-morning hours and by evening when I returned, they told me that they can’t give me the car.

 I am ready to be investigated, but I know I am innocent,” he said, adding that there was no way he could have passed through the Immigration departments at Schiphol and JKIA with biscuits that contained prohibited drugs.