It’s time Kenya made drug dealers uncomfortable

Drugs is a problem to all Kenyans; in addition to the required multi-agency approach and co-operation in the war, security agencies must be supported in investigations that can warrant prosecution. file photo | nmg 

By VICTOR BWIRE

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Summary

• Drugs is a problem to all Kenyans; in addition to the required multi-agency approach and co-operation in the war, security agencies must be supported in investigations that can warrant prosecution.
• Additionally, the ministries of Interior and Foreign Affairs must reach out to our neighbours, to get their support in the war.
• More important, Kenya needs to change the way of managing entry points, especially the port of Mombasa.
• It calls for strengthening of registration of people doing business at the port, including clearing agents, transport agents, and security systems.

The onslaught against business in drugs and other illicit products needs the support of all Kenyans. A visit to our correctional facilities shows how the youth among them university students are wasted; a big number of them are serving long drug related jail terms.

We must make doing drug business expensive; expeditious investigation and prosecutions, including recovery of assets.

In addition to the law that allows recovering property acquired from proceeds of drug business, random raids should be done on homes of proved drug dealers.

The illicit business is a major cause of insecurity. Many of the highway beggars, street families, parking men/women, touts/stage managers, courier and long distance transport business, stalls business people and bar bouncers are drug peddlers.

Drugs is a problem to all Kenyans; in addition to the required multi-agency approach and co-operation in the war, security agencies must be supported in investigations that can warrant prosecution.

Additionally, the ministries of Interior and Foreign Affairs must reach out to our neighbours, to get their support in the war.

More important, Kenya needs to change the way of managing entry points, especially the port of Mombasa. It calls for strengthening of registration of people doing business at the port, including clearing agents, transport agents, and security systems.

Drugs and the business have caused serious damage to the country, and when I see the many young souls, especially students from higher institutions of learning, languishing in jails, when, peddlers, foreigners and citizens, are literally wreaking the lives of Kenyans, it’s unacceptable.

Make no mistake, the drugs business is extremely linked to poaching, terrorism, insecurity, radicalisation, and money laundering among other things in this country.

Citizens should volunteer information. Intelligence sharing between the various security organs in the country and with other countries is vital; we must fight the drug menace the way we are doing with terrorism.

Security agencies should be facilitated in equal measure and be protected from within and without to firmly deal with the issue.

It’s a sophisticated endeavour and must be dealt with higher sophistication.

Drugs peddling has compromised the country’s security, health, business environment, and way of life, and must be stopped.

All public agencies involved must co-operate and do their bit; otherwise, they risk lives of colleagues and Kenyans.

And, the war should be countrywide and thorough. Some of the long serving officers in key institutions dealing with the drugs menace should be transferred and be properly vetted.

Just like the war on illicit alcohol was done in parts of the country, let’s expose them, and with evidence prosecute them.

It’s dangerous but it can be won if there are no conspirators and sell outs.