The High Court has granted Nancy Kigunzu, popularly known as Mathe wa Ngara, a Ksh500,000 bond after an appeal.
On Wednesday, 19 November, High Court Judge James Wakiaga overturned an earlier decision by Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) magistrate Renee Kitangwa to deny her bail on September 14, 2024.
In his ruling, Justice Wakiaga stated that Kigunzu should be released on a Ksh500,000 bond after spending two years and nearly three months in jail.
He also directed her to report to the investigating officers every 30 days and warned her not to commit any similar offences while out on bail.
Her two co-accused had previously been released on a Ksh1 million bond each.
Through her lawyers, Sophie Nekesa and Danstan Omari, Mathe wa Ngara appealed the initial decision, promising to comply with all court directives.
The three suspects were arraigned on August 12, 2024, when she was charged with narcotics trafficking.
In April 2024, High Court Justice Esther Maina ordered Kigunzi to forfeit the money to the state after she failed to provide a satisfactory explanation for its source.
The court questioned why she stored the money in sacks at her residence instead of depositing it in a bank.
Furthermore, the judge noted that the police had found cannabis sativa, a narcotic substance, at Kigunzi's residence.
"It is also not disputed that the police found three individuals at the residence under circumstances suggesting that they were drug mules," stated Justice Maina.
In her ruling, Justice Maina expressed confidence in the evidence presented, concluding that the money was directly linked to criminal conduct.
Although the specific offence remains to be determined, the court firmly declared the Ksh13.4 million as the proceeds of crime and ordered its forfeiture to the government of Kenya.
