This archive report was first published on 14 July 2019.
Published on July 14, 2019, a Nairobi businesswoman, Joyce Akinyi, was arrested with two kilograms of heroin, a move that has shed light on her troubled past.
Her relationship with Nigerian businessman Antony Chinedu was marred by public altercations and allegations of shady deals, including drug trafficking.
As their relationship crumbled, Akinyi found herself at the center of a police crackdown on drug trafficking syndicates, including the arrest of the Akasha brothers.
Chinedu was eventually arrested and deported in 2013, leaving behind Akinyi, who has had a series of run-ins with the law.
One notable incident occurred in 2008, when Akinyi was detained for five months on allegations of money laundering, alongside Budalangi MP Raphael Wanjala, who was found in possession of 7.5 million shillings at New Delhi's Indira Gandhi Airport.
Her latest arrest, which saw police recover heroin valued at 3 million shillings, has sparked concerns about her continued involvement in the narcotics trade.
According to reports, officers who conducted the raid were aware that Akinyi was still in the narcotics trade, and she was arrested alongside a Congolese national with several passports bearing her photos and different names.
