Government chemist testifies in Maina Njenga's drugs court case

Former Mungiki leader Maina Njenga. [Collins Kweyu, Standard]

A senior government chemist was on Thursday put to task why he did not conduct sampling and weighing of the drugs at his Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) station.

The official was testifying in a case where former Mungiki leader Maina Njenga and two individuals were charged with alleged possession of drugs. Dennis Owino Onyango told Makadara Magistrate Tito Gesora that he carried out the sampling and weighing of the drugs at DCI headquarters on Kiambu Road instead of KNH.

During cross-examination by lawyers Njiru Ndegwa and Evans Ondiek, the official said he received a call from his boss, William Munywoki, to proceed to DCI headquarters.

"I am a member of the national disaster committee and because of my position I can be called anytime to go to work including weekends and holidays," he said.

Onyango was responding to a question by lawyer Njiru who wanted to know the procedure he used to report at the DCI headquarters on a weekend.

The lawyer also wanted to know whether Onyango had any document to show that he had been assigned to work at the DCI headquarters rather than at his workplace.

Onyango, a trained chemical and biological expert, said he tested the exhibits police claimed to have recovered from Njenga, his brother Peter Njoroge Kamunya and aide Felix Lekishe.

He said the results showed that they were drugs. "After testing I found that they were cocaine and cannabis sativa," said the witness.