This archive report was first published on 13 July 2019.
On July 12, 2019, Nairobi businesswoman Joyce Akinyi was arrested by anti-narcotics police for allegedly having two kilograms of heroin.
According to reports, Ms Akinyi and a Congolese national were apprehended in Nairobi West in the early hours of the day by detectives who had been tracking her.
Police had been following Ms Akinyi due to numerous reports that she was still involved in the drugs trade despite previous arrests and ongoing court cases.
The heroin found was valued at Sh3 million.
Ms Akinyi was taken to the cells at Muthaiga Police Station, a detention centre she is familiar with, as she has been arrested three times before on allegations of drug trafficking.
During the arrest, informers claimed that Ms Akinyi was found with Congolese passports bearing her photos but with different names and nationalities.
One passport had the name Eveline Kambere, with the birth place as Goma, Congo, while the other had the name Marline Kambuba Mape with the same birth place.
Ms Akinyi's history of involvement in high-profile cases dates back to her marriage to Nigerian businessman Antony Chinedu in 2004.
The couple's marriage was marked by public squabbles, with Ms Akinyi accusing Mr Chinedu of being a 'drug lord wanted in Pakistan'.
Ms Akinyi and her then-boyfriend, MP Raphael Wanjala, were arrested in India in 2008 on allegations of money laundering.
They were found with the equivalent of Sh7.5 million in US dollars, which they failed to declare upon arrival in India.
Ms Akinyi and Mr Wanjala were later released after a month's stay in prison, but their case drew significant media attention.
Mr Chinedu was eventually deported to Nigeria in 2013 on suspicion of being a drug trafficker.
Ms Akinyi and Mr Wanjala were arrested again in 2013 on claims of drug trafficking, but they were released after insisting they were carrying maize flour.
Ms Akinyi was arrested once more in 2015, but she was later released.
