Officials net notorious campus cannabis trafficker in Njoro raid
An overnight intelligence-led multi-agency operation has dealt a decisive blow to drug trafficking networks operating around learning institutions after officers arrested one of Nakuru County’s most notorious cannabis traffickers in Njoro.
The deep-night raid, conducted on Thursday by enforcement teams from the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA), followed weeks of surveillance and intelligence gathering that linked the suspect to cannabis supply chains within the Egerton University belt and surrounding student settlements.
Cannabis Hidden in Underground Bunkers
In what investigators described as a sophisticated concealment scheme, officers recovered a substantial haul of cannabis hidden inside underground bunkers meticulously dug within the suspect’s homestead.
Additional consignments were found stashed inside domestic animal pens — a tactic authorities say was designed to mask the pungent smell of cannabis and evade detection during routine patrols.
The suspect, who had long been on the radar of enforcement agencies, was arrested at the scene and remains in custody as investigations expand to dismantle supply chains believed to stretch across multiple counties.
Targeting Drug Networks Near Campuses
Speaking during the operation, NACADA Chief Executive Officer Anthony Omerikwa reaffirmed the Authority’s commitment to securing learning institutions from drug infiltration.
“We are deliberately targeting traffickers operating near schools, colleges and universities because safe learning environments are central to prevention. When drugs infiltrate academic spaces, they destroy futures, compromise performance and endanger lives,” he said.
Dr Omerikwa linked the raid to findings from NACADA’s recent national survey on substance use among university students, which revealed that between 23 and 26 per cent of students have used cannabis at least once in their lifetime.
He further warned of a troubling transition pattern, noting that many users first experiment with cannabis in late secondary school or early university years — a shift that contributes to declining academic performance and exposes users to long-term health risks.
Enforcement and Prevention Strategy
Thursday’s high-impact seizure coincided with the launch of the National Substance Use Prevention Week Summit in Nairobi, underscoring what NACADA described as its dual strategy of enforcement and prevention.
“While we convene stakeholders to strengthen prevention frameworks, our enforcement teams are simultaneously on the ground disrupting supply networks. This is a whole-of-government, whole-of-society war that we must win,” Dr Omerikwa said.
Authorities believe the underground bunker method signals an evolution in concealment tactics by traffickers seeking to evade law enforcement detection. Surveillance and intelligence mapping around learning institutions, particularly in Njoro and other university towns, is expected to be intensified.
NACADA has reiterated that academic zones will remain high-priority protected spaces as part of the national campaign to shield Kenya’s youth from the devastating effects of drug abuse.