By Mercy Chelangat
Police officers in Uasin Gishu County have seized a lorry that was transporting six sacks of bhang weighing over 190 kilograms.
The nabbed bhang has an estimated street value of KSh 9.5 million.
According to Uasin Gishu County Police Commander Benjamin Mwanthi, detectives from Baharini Police Station intercepted the lorry with the illegal substance near Maili Nne on the outskirts of Eldoret City after they were tipped off by members of the public.
The lorry, which had originated from Busia County, was believed to have been on its way to Mombasa when it was ambushed by the police officers.
Mwanthi said the bhang had been concealed as parcels.
“This is the second big seizure within a month. Earlier, we confiscated 555 kilograms of bhang worth KSh 26 million. That is over KSh 30 million worth of narcotics we have kept off the streets in a month alone,” the county police boss told journalists.
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He also noted that drug traffickers have recently changed their tactics to evade security checks.
“They used to transport the bhang as luggage, but now they wrap it in packages, spray perfume on it and place other packages in front. By the time the lorry reaches Mombasa, the rear is full of packages, but the front is full of bhang, which makes it difficult to detect,” Mwanthi said.
He also commended the members of the public for alerting them and urged more citizens to turn up and report any suspicious activities.
“We thank the public for the tip-off because this consignment would have ruined the lives of many youths, even those in training institutions. We urge Kenyans to continue giving such information to us,” the police commander stated.
The prime suspect, the driver of the vehicle, will appear in court on Wednesday, August 27, 2025.
Meanwhile, the security agencies have reiterated their appeal to members of the public to use hotlines 999 and 112 to report suspected drug trafficking cases.
“Bhang is still a major problem in Uasin Gishu, and we are even asking drivers and truck owners to help police by allowing random searches if they suspect anything criminal,” the police commander said.
