IN THE NAME OF LOVE: WOMEN RISK ARREST TO SMUGGLE DRUGS, PHONES AND TOOLS TO BOYFRIEND IN CUSTODY
Several Kenyan women have been arrested after allegedly attempting to sneak drugs, mobile phones and tools to Boyfriend detained in police custody, with some items reportedly concealed inside food.
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A series of cases in Kenya has highlighted the lengths to which some women have allegedly gone to deliver prohibited items to men held in police custody, with some now facing possible criminal charges.
The cases range from drugs and mobile phones hidden in food to tools allegedly intended to facilitate an escape from police cells.
On September 16, 18-year-old Christine Njoki Gitau was arrested at Ruai Police Station after police allegedly discovered heavy-duty pliers and metal shears concealed beneath a meal destined for three suspects in custody.
According to police, the tools were allegedly intended to help the suspects cut through wire and steel grills. The three were facing gang-related felony charges.
At Buruburu Police Station, Bernice Achieng’ Otieno was arrested after allegedly attempting to deliver five rolls of bhang and a matchbox to her boyfriend. Police reportedly recovered another seven rolls during a search of her jacket.
In 2022, Caroline Imenza allegedly arrived at Gilgil Police Station with bread and hot tea for her husband, who was in custody. Police reportedly found bhang, cigarettes and a matchbox concealed inside the bread. A subsequent search allegedly uncovered additional rolls of bhang.
In another case in July 2020, two women in Kirinyaga were arrested after allegedly attempting to take bhang into a police cell concealed in a tea flask.
In March 2024, three women were also arrested at Sagana Police Station after allegedly trying to deliver a mobile phone concealed inside brown bread to murder suspect John Muriithi Karaya, alias California.
The incidents have drawn attention to the security challenges faced by police when relatives, friends or partners bring food and other necessities to detainees.
Under Kenya's Penal Code, aiding a prisoner to escape is a felony punishable by up to seven years in prison. Other charges may apply depending on the item allegedly being smuggled, including offences relating to narcotic drugs or possession of weapons.
While the cases involve women taking items to men in custody, the documented incidents do not establish that romantic devotion was the motivation in every case.
They nevertheless demonstrate how personal relationships can become a channel through which prohibited items reach people being held by police.
They nevertheless demonstrate how personal relationships can become a channel through which prohibited items reach people being held by police.
For security officers, the incidents have reinforced the need for thorough checks of food, clothing and other items brought into police stations.
What may appear to be an ordinary meal or a simple delivery can, in some circumstances, conceal items capable of creating serious security and legal consequences for both the detainee and the person delivering them.
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Written by Anne Moses
Reporter and staff writer at Getembe News.
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