This archive report was first published on 14 August 2019.
Published on August 14, 2019, a report by the United States embassy during the tenure of US Ambassador Michael Ranneberger listed Ali Punjani as a suspected drug lord in the country.
Named in Parliament in 2010, Punjani's links to the drugs underworld have been well-documented. He is a well-connected individual within government circles, with a significant presence in the Coast region.
Reportedly, Punjani made a personal contribution of Ksh.6 million in 2009 to help residents of Faza Island in Lamu after a fire engulfed their homes, in the presence of former President Mwai Kibaki and then Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
However, his influence and connections have also been linked to the country's narcotics trade. In 2010, the then Internal Security Minister George Saitoti named Punjani among suspected drug lords in the country.
The rivalry between Punjani and the Akasha brothers, another alleged biggest drug lord family, burst into open in 2017 after a club fight in Mombasa where guns were drawn and shots fired.
Both Punjani and the Akasha brothers were charged with fighting in public and were released on a Ksh.50,000 cash bail. The case is still active.
