Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen is set to oversee the destruction of 1,036kg of methamphetamine worth an estimated Sh8.2 billion. The narcotics were seized from a vessel off the Kenyan coast in October 2025 and have been stored as evidence. The destruction exercise is scheduled to take place at the Bamburi Cement Factory in Mombasa. Security and law enforcement officers have assembled at the site in preparation for the event. The seized consignment is one of the major methamphetamine hauls associated with Kenya's coast.
The methamphetamine was intercepted in an operation involving the Kenya Coast Guard Service and other security agencies. The consignment was later linked to a major drug trafficking case involving six Iranian nationals. The suspects, who are facing charges before the Shanzu Law Courts, remain in custody at Shimo La Tewa Prison as the court case continues. The seizure has drawn attention to the use of Kenya's coastline and maritime routes in the movement of narcotics.
Before the destruction, a preliminary field test was carried out on the seized methamphetamine by analyst Dennis Owino. The test was part of the required procedures to be completed before the destruction exercise. Lawyers representing the different parties in the case also attended the event. The seized drugs were transported to Bamburi, where they were examined and tested before the exercise could proceed.
Officers from the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), Kenya Coast Guard Service, and Interpol are present at the Bamburi Cement Factory. The site has been secured as authorities prepare to destroy the consignment. The drugs were displayed at the facility as officials carried out the final checks and testing required before their destruction.
The destruction of the narcotics will remove the seized consignment from circulation as the criminal proceedings against the six Iranian nationals proceed. The suspects are charged with drug trafficking at Shanzu Law Courts, but the allegations against them have not been finally determined by the court. Investigators are continuing to establish the source of the shipment and its intended destination.
The October 2025 interception involved the Coast Guard and other security agencies and resulted in the drugs being held as evidence while investigations and court processes continued. The methamphetamine had been kept as evidence while investigators pursued the case and the court-supervised legal procedures relating to the seizure were completed.
Inspector-General of Police Douglas Kanja and his deputy, Eliud Lagat, have arrived in Mombasa to oversee the destruction exercise. The event is a major operation to dispose of seized narcotics and demonstrates the government's efforts to combat drug trafficking.
Key points
- The destruction of the Sh8.2bn methamphetamine haul is part of a major operation to dispose of seized narcotics.
- The seizure has drawn attention to the use of Kenya's coastline and maritime routes in the movement of narcotics.
- The six Iranian nationals linked to the consignment remain in custody at Shimo La Tewa Prison.
