By Benadeta Mwaura - Reporter
Kenya, 20 December 2025 - One person has been arrested after the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) seized narcotics valued at approximately KSh 3 million during a multi-agency operation in Juja, Kiambu County, as authorities intensify efforts to disrupt drug trafficking ahead of the festive season.
The operation, conducted in the Backstreet area of Kimbo, involved officers from NACADA, the Anti-Narcotics Unit (ANU) and the National Police Service (NPS).
Authorities targeted a location suspected to be a key distribution point for illicit drugs within the rapidly growing peri-urban town.
During the raid, officers arrested one suspect, while a second individual managed to flee and remains at large. Police recovered more than 4,800 rolls of cannabis (bhang) and 75 sealed sachets, all packaged for retail sale.
Investigators also seized transaction records believed to document sales running into millions of shillings, pointing to an organised drug distribution network.
Speaking after the operation, NACADA Chief Executive Officer Dr Anthony Omerikwa said the Juja raid marked the beginning of heightened enforcement efforts during the holiday period.
“This is just the beginning. Our festive season crackdowns are intensified, and we are closing in. To the traffickers poisoning our communities, your time is up. We will hunt you down, dismantle your networks, and ensure you are all behind bars,” Omerikwa said.
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He stressed that drug trafficking remains a major threat to communities, particularly young people, and called for greater public cooperation in the fight against substance abuse.
“We cannot do this alone. If you see suspicious activity, report it immediately. Community vigilance is key to dismantling these networks,” he added, urging residents to use NACADA’s toll-free hotline 1192 to share information confidentially.
The seized drugs have been secured as exhibits, and the arrested suspect is expected to be arraigned in court on drug trafficking charges, while police continue investigations to track down the second suspect and uncover the wider supply chain.
The Juja operation comes amid renewed nationwide crackdowns on narcotics, with law enforcement agencies reporting multiple seizures in urban and peri-urban centres in recent months. Authorities say increased enforcement during the festive season is aimed at preventing a spike in drug abuse and related crime.
Officials maintain that sustained multi-agency operations, combined with community reporting, remain central to disrupting illegal drug markets and protecting vulnerable populations from the social and economic harms associated with substance abuse.
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