Murkomen: Sh8 billion drugs consignment to be destroyed

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen on October 26, 2025 led a team of leaders for a fundraising event at Arina AIC Church in Kisumu.[Clinton Ambujo, Standard]

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has announced that narcotics worth Sh8 billion, seized in a major maritime operation off the Kenyan coast, will be publicly destroyed.

Speaking on Sunday during a church service at AIC Kisumu Arina Local Church, Murkomen said the move is part of the government’s tough stance against drug trafficking and other illicit substances.

“We have resolved as a nation that we must fight drugs, illicit alcohol, and all kinds of things that are destroying the lives of our people,” the CS stated.

He added that six foreign nationals arrested in connection with the seizure will soon be arraigned in court, noting that they are currently under interrogation.

According to Murkomen, initial tests by government chemists confirmed that the seized substance was methamphetamine with 98 per cent purity. 

The drugs are undergoing further forensic analysis and documentation before destruction.

“This decisive intervention, led by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) with support from the Kenya Navy, the Kenya Coast Guard Service, National Intelligence Service, Kenya Ports Authority, Kenya Revenue Authority, the Government Chemist, and other partner agencies, forms part of our contribution to global efforts to dismantle transnational organised crime networks, including narcotics trafficking, terrorism financing, and illicit financial flows,” Murkomen said.

He noted that Kenya will continue to work with international partners to trace and disrupt the wider criminal network linked to the shipment, which he described as one of the largest drug seizures in recent years.

The seizure followed a multi-agency operation that intercepted a stateless vessel, MV Ighol, approximately 630 kilometres east of Mombasa, after intelligence reports pointed to suspicious activity in the Indian Ocean.

Six Iranian nationals aboard the vessel were arrested and remain in lawful custody.

Murkomen earlier confirmed that the operation was led by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), with support from the Kenya Navy, Kenya Coast Guard Service, National Intelligence Service, Kenya Ports Authority, Kenya Revenue Authority, and the Government Chemist.

Speaking to the media on Saturday, the Kenya Navy Deputy Commander Brigadier Kantale Kiswa and DCI Director Mohamed Amin said the vessel was intercepted on October 23, 2025.

“On October 23, Kenya Navy successfully intercepted a dark vessel christened MV Ighol carrying six Iranian nationals. The vessel was found to be transporting a large consignment of synthetic drugs,” Amin said.

Murkomen emphasised that the successful operation highlights Kenya’s commitment to global efforts to combat narcotics trafficking, terrorism financing, and other forms of transnational organised crime.

The seizure came just days after Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) came under scrutiny for alleged drug trafficking incidents.

The Ministry has pledged to strengthen inter-agency cooperation, enhance maritime and border security, and reinforce partnerships with regional and international allies to combat the production, movement, and financing of illicit substances.