UGANDAN WOMAN EXTRADITED TO KENYA DETAINED OVER DRUG TRAFFICKING

A Nairobi court has ordered the detention of Hellen Ikareut, a Ugandan national extradited to Kenya, over drug trafficking allegations linked to a 2023 incident at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
The court allowed the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to detain Ikareut for three days at the Embakasi police station to allow investigators time to record witness statements and have the seized substances weighed and analyzed by government chemists.
Ikareut was extradited from Uganda after she lost a legal battle challenging her transfer to Kenya. In June, a Kampala court endorsed a Kenyan arrest warrant and authorized her handover to face charges under Kenya’s Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Control Act.
She is accused of exporting 25 shower curtains concealed with a plant material suspected to be narcotics from Kitengela to Bahrain on May 18, 2023. The consignment was intercepted at the JKIA cargo section. Authorities claim she fled to Uganda shortly after being summoned.
During her extradition hearing in Uganda, Ikareut argued that the request was made in bad faith and raised concerns over her health and the conditions of Kenyan detention facilities. However, Ugandan authorities dismissed her claims, ruling the extradition lawful and constitutional.
The case will be mentioned again on August 11, 2025 for further directions.