Police find bhang, bloodstained knives in UoN raid

A section of the University of Nairobi. Photo/FILE

By Kamore Maina

Police found 25kgs of bhang, nine pangas and bloodstained knives in a raid at UoN hostels on Saturday.
They also found balaclavas, police boots, an officer's sweater, watchmen's uniforms, a money-making machine and several fake notes.
The eight-hour operation was planned to recover, among other things, guns and drugs students allegedly keep in their rooms.
Hall Nine hostels were the points of focus as it is believed criminals operate from there.
The operation was jointly conducted by officers from the Special Crimes Prevention Unit, Flying squad and the Anti-Narcotic units
But Flying Squad boss Said Mohammed, Head of Special Crimes Prevention Unit Noah Katumo and ANU chief Hamisi Massa declined to comment.
Sources familiar with the operation said police sought to find drugs following Nacada chairman John Mututho's claim that the university is a drugs den.
Mututho claimed drug peddlers, including UoN students, are protected by senior politicians.
The sources said police had been gives names of students suspected to peddle bhang at the university and others said to be armed robbers.
Officers were also under instruction to find weapons following several complaints filed at Kileleshwa police station of violent robberies allegedly carried out by UoN students.
They also searched for stolen goods such as mobile phones.
The sources, who cannot be named as they are not authorised to speak to the media, said the targets of the operation were not met.
They claimed students moved items from their rooms after some of the university's security officials informed them of the raid.
UoN Vice chancellor Peter Mbithi, who was present during the raid, could not be reached for comment. He did not answer five phone calls an an SMS.
Star interviews with students, police officers and parents revealed that the problem is not limited to the University of Nairobi.
A student at Kenyatta university said students occasionally frequented backstreet dens codenamed “Kilometer one' and ‘Annex' for supplies of bhang, chang'aa and other illicit brews.
At JKUAT, vendors operating kiosks around the institution are said to insert bhang in cakes and mandazi which they sell to students.
Cookies laced with bhang are also said to be in high supply at the university.
Last week, IG Joseph Boinnet dismissed claims by Mututho that some senior police officers were protecting drug cartels at the UON.
Boinnet directed Mututho to record statements with the police over his claims but the former Naivasha MP is