Police on Saturday raided University of Nairobi student hostels and recovered among other contraband, 25kg of bhang, a police sweater and bloodstained knives.
Also found in the hostels were balaclavas, police boots, watchmen’s uniforms, nine pangas, a money-making machine and fake notes.
The eight-hour operation was planned to recover guns and drugs.
The operation concentrated on Hall Nine that is suspected to be a hotbed for criminals.
It was conducted jointly by officers from the Special Crimes Prevention Unit, Flying Squad and the Anti-Narcotics Unit.
Flying Squad boss Said Mohammed, Head of Special Crimes Prevention Unit Noah Katumo and ANU chief Hamisi Massa declined to comment on the raid.
Sources said police were looking for drugs after Nacada chairman John Mututho claimed the university is a drug den. Mututho alleged some senior politicians protect drug peddlers, who include students.
The officers were also searching for stolen goods such as mobile phones.
They were also under instruction to find weapons after several complaints were filed at Kileleshwa police station of victims violently robbed by criminals believed to be UoN students.
The sources, who cannot be named as they are not authorised to speak to the media, said some university security officials leaked information about the crackdown to students who moved some of the contraband.
Yesterday, UoN vice chancellor Peter Mbithi, who was present during the raid, could not be reached for a comment.
The Star called his cellphone five times and sent an SMS, but he had yet to respond by the time we went to press.
Sources said police had also been given names of students peddling bhang at the university and others suspected to be armed robbers.
Interviews with students, police officers and parents revealed that the problem was not limited to UoN.
A student at Kenyatta University said students occasionally frequent backstreet dens codenamed ‘Kilometre One’ and ‘Annex’ to get their supply of bhang, chang’aa and illicit brew.
At JKUAT, some vendors operating kiosks pack bhang in cakes, mandazi and cookies, then sell to students.
Last week, IG Joseph Boinnet trashed claims by Mututho that some senior officers protect drug cartels at UoN. He directed Mututho to record statements, but the former MP is yet to do so.
