The High Court has overturned an earlier ruling that denied bond to Nancy Kigunzu Indoveria, popularly known as Mathe wa Ngara, in a case involving narcotics trafficking.
Justice James Wakiaga allowed her appeal, setting bond at Sh500,000 with a surety of a similar amount, while issuing strict conditions for her release.
Mathe wa Ngara had previously been denied bond by Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) Magistrate Renee Kitangwa in 2024, following her arrest for possession of 18.3 kilograms of cannabis valued at Sh6 million.
Her co-accused, David Ochieng and Christopher Odipo, were granted Sh1 million bonds with matching sureties.
Through her lawyers, Sophie Nekesa and Danstan Omari, Mathe wa Ngara appealed, pledging to comply with all court directions.
Advocate Martina Swiga represented her during the High Court appeal.
The case forms part of a broader investigation by the Assets Recovery Agency (ARA), which has previously secured orders freezing eleven properties.
Justice Benjamin Musyoki had directed the surrender of title deeds and the registration of caveats to prevent transfer or sale pending the agency’s forfeiture proceedings.
During investigations, ARA seized six sacks of dry plant material suspected to be narcotics, a weighing scale, assorted empty sacks, a brown diary, and several title deeds from her Juja apartment.
“She devised a complex criminal mechanism of acquiring, trafficking, distributing, and selling the drugs and registered the assets she acquired from the illicit trade through her close relative and mules,” the agency stated.
In addition, the court ordered that rental income from the Juja apartments be deposited into ARA’s account at Kenya Commercial Bank and prohibited the sale or transfer of motor vehicles registered in her and her associates’ names.
In its latest ruling, the court directed Mathe wa Ngara to report to the investigating officer every 30 days and cautioned her against committing any similar offences while out on bond.
Mathe wa Ngara’s legal troubles date back to 2023 when she was first denied bail in another narcotics trafficking case valued at Sh18.3 million.
She was arrested in August in an apartment in Juja and subsequently charged in court with trafficking narcotic drugs.
At the time of arrest, one David Okoth was cleaning a Toyota Sienta which was believed to have delivered a consignment of narcotic drugs to Mathee Wa Ngara.
Before this, she had been charged with other offences of drug trafficking at the JKIA court.
She pleaded not guilty to trafficking.
Magistrate Njeri Thuku, while granting bail to other co-accused in 2023, maintained that releasing Mathe wa Ngara was not in the interest of justice.
