On 13 June, hours after sharing laughs over drinks at a bar in Karatina, Nyeri County, Wambugu Kanoru and Alice Wamugo were having contrasting mornings.

Kanoru struggled to shake off the groggy feeling, headache and body weakness brought about by a drug slipped into his drink the previous night. He was also Sh400,000 light as the money had been transferred from his phone to Wamugo’s.

On the other hand, Wamugo was healthy and happy, and even sent Sh15,000 to her landlord in Ruiru to cover her August rent.

She spent Sh10,000 to buy supplies and groceries, and sent Sh50,000 to a woman now believed to be her accomplice.

Matatu Owners Association official Wambugu Kanoru.

Photo credit: Evans Habil | Nation Media Group

For at least two years, that has been the fast and loose life of Alice Wamugo, a woman police believe is a key operative in a gang that targets men in bars, and laces their drinks before stealing their money and valuables.

Various police investigations have placed her in multiple bars in Nyeri, Kiambu and Nairobi counties. In Kiambu, she has been placed in Thika and Ruiru. In Nairobi, she has been placed in Lavington.

Different men have complained to the police about their drinks being spiked, their mobile phones, money and other valuables being stolen after visiting bars in the listed areas. At least Sh1.8 million has been transferred from mobile money wallets and bank accounts of the victims.

In all the cases, the money was first moved to Wamugo’s phone, then some to her suspected accomplice Eudis Wangari Irungu, and some to two men whom police are still searching for.

Police have now started following the money to confirm whether Wamugo may have acquired any assets using money she is accused of obtaining by stupefying men.

If the asset tracing process yields results, police will file forfeiture proceedings against her.

At the Thika Law Courts, Wamugo and Eudis Wangari Irungu are facing trial for allegedly stupefying Roy Kuria Njue in the V-Spot area on March 8, 2024, before stealing his two ATM cards.

Irungu was the recipient of the Sh50,000 from Wamugo’s phone hours after Kanoru was robbed.

Aside from stupefying in order to commit a crime, the two women have also been charged in Thika with handling stolen goods — they were found in possession of items stolen from Njue.

They were released on Sh20,000 cash bail, and the case has been dragging on since 2024.

Wamugo missed the last court mention just days before being arrested in connection with stupefying and robbing Kanoru.

Another businessman has also filed a complaint with police in Karatina to the effect that his drink was laced on June 12 while he was in the company of Kanoru and Wamugo.

Read: 'Mchele' death: Woman arrested in Karatina after more men lose money

Two days after Kanoru was robbed, another businessman filed a similar complaint. This businessman had lost Sh180,000. Police investigations led, again, to Wamugo.

Wamugo, however, offered to settle the matter with the businessman, and paid him an undisclosed amount before his complaint to police was marked as settled.

Read: Drink spiking death: Police arrest owner of car seen dumping TUK lecturer's body

When police reviewed CCTV from the Kanoru case, the images captured linked Wamugo and Irungu to the death of quantity surveyor Edgar Otochi Mokua. He was found dead in the Roysambu area on July 8, hours after he was spotted leaving a club in Lavington with Wamugo.

Charles Mokua — Edgar Mokua (inset), a 53-year-old quantity surveyor who died on July 7, 2026 after spending time at a bar with a woman whom police believe spiked his drink.

Photo credit: Pool

Richard Gikuhe Mbugua was arrested in Ruiru's Blue Estate after forensic investigations linked his grey Toyota Ractis, registration number KBZ 002R, to the disposal of Mokua's body. The vehicle was later recovered at Murera Farm in Juja.

Read: Dead man, Sh800,000 theft and drink spiking gang on the run

In an affidavit filed in court for the Kanoru case, police said they are still pursuing more suspects who were part of the criminal gang. The investigators have asked the court to allow them to further obtain M-Pesa statements of two men who are believed to be part of the cartel targeting revellers in bars.

In the application, the investigators said they were hoping to review the call logs of Alice Wamugo Mwangi, who is currently in police custody.

“One suspect has since been arrested, and there is need for further investigations on some M-Pesa and bank transactions to trail the money stolen before a charge is preferred against the suspect,” the affidavit filed in a Karatina court read in part.

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kamaina@ke.nationmedia.com