Heavy security tightens grip on Bamburi as Sh8.2bn meth is destroyed

MOMBASA, Kenya—Heavy security descended on Bamburi in Mombasa on Thursday as security agencies moved to secure the site where a Sh8.2 billion methamphetamine haul is due to be destroyed.

The heightened security presence around the Bamburi Cement plant caught residents by surprise, with the Bamburi-Mtambo road briefly closed to allow security agencies to access the facility where the destruction is scheduled to take place.

The temporary closure disrupted traffic along the busy route linking Bamburi to the Mombasa-Malindi Highway, briefly paralysing public transport as matatus plying the Mombasa-Mtwapa, Bamburi-Ferry and Bamburi-Docks routes were affected.

Residents and motorists were forced to contend with the unusual security operation as officers tightened access around the plant ahead of the high-profile destruction exercise.

The operation comes as top security officials prepare to converge on Mombasa, with Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen expected to lead the destruction of 1,036.044 kilogrammes of methamphetamine valued at approximately Sh8.2 billion.

The drugs were seized in the Indian Ocean by the Kenya Navy in October 2025 from a vessel suspected of transporting the narcotics.

The consignment is at the centre of a trafficking case before the Shanzu Law Courts, where six Iranian nationals are charged with trafficking narcotic drugs contrary to Section 4(a)(ii) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act.

The accused—Jaseem Darzadeh Nia, Nadeem Jadgal, Hassan Baloch, Raheem Baksh, Imran Baloch and Imtiyaz Daryay—were recently placed on their defence after Shanzu Chief Magistrate Anthony Mwicigi ruled that the prosecution had established a prima facie case.

The ruling followed evidence from 12 prosecution witnesses and the closure of the prosecution case. The accused will now defend themselves under Section 211 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

The ruling does not amount to a conviction, and the six remain presumed innocent unless and until found guilty by the court.

The court had earlier been told that destroying the narcotics was the safest option as the case continues, given the quantity and nature of the drugs.

For residents of Bamburi and motorists using the busy Mombasa-Malindi corridor, however, Thursday’s security operation provided an unusual scene, with the brief road closure and heavy deployment signalling the significance of the exercise taking place inside the plant.