A report exposes the growing role of Western nationals in the transportation of narcotics and drug abuse in Kenya.
As the World Drugs Day was being marked on Tuesday, the report released early this month warns drug abuse is rife at the Kenyan coast with over 27,000 documented intravenous drug users, mainly hooked on heroin.
The report also documents the rising role of Pakistanis, West Africans and increasing role of Ethiopians in this illegal trade, with the drug of choice among foreigners being cocaine, amphetamine and heroin.
Of the African foreigners, Nigerians and Ghanaians are the most notorious importers or couriers of narcotics, mainly imported through the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport from airports in the Far East and the East Asian nations.
The report says that an American, Timmy Hakim, described as a ‘telecoms officer’ escaped from prison and a warrant of arrest is still in force while a compatriot committed suicide in a Kenyan jail after being arrested.
Penalties
It also shows that although penalties for drug trafficking and consumption have risen steeply in the last decade, key foreign and Kenyans suspects set free on bail have escaped without trace and arrest warrants issued many years ago are still pending.
The report shows that an arrest warrant issued against George Kiragu over alleged links to the 1.14 tonne cocaine discovered in Nairobi and Malindi in 2006 still stands although his co-accused were acquitted three years ago.
The report was tabled in Parliament on June 5 by late Internal Security Minister George Saitoti said about 661 Kenyans and foreigners have been detained and tried for these crimes since 1980.
According to the report, one US citizen on drug charges died in Kenyan custody, allegedly by committing suicide, while the trial of an American priest, John Bishop, who was arrested on January 17, 2010 in Nairobi with 961.7 grammes of heroin after arriving from Mauritius has been pending since April that year.
Fellow American Jeffrey Brain was arrested twice on June 1 and June 2 last year with an undetermined amount of cocaine and his case is also pending before court.
But fellow US citizen Cecil Deon Kellums, then aged 51, committed suicide after being found with 17.4 kilogrammes of cocaine in his suitcase at JKIA on arrival from Amsterdam ten years ago.
There are warrants of arrest out for Betty Wangoa Nderitu, a Kenyan, since 1996 when police claim they caught her “trafficking in narcotics drugs” or 245 grammes of cocaine, Tanzanian Joackim Rutingano since 1997, according to police reports, which indicate he was found with 1.6 kilogrammes of heroin and another one against Yemeni Amer Raes Brek Al Amiri from the same year.
Warrants
A warrant is also still in force against Ghanaian Charles Kwame Otti, who police claim to have arrested with 1282.6 grammes of cocaine in 2009. He was allegedly caught with 1.43 kilogrammes of cocaine.
There are also pending warrants against Guinean Bah Mamadoh Bailo and Omar Mohamed Kombo of Tanzania from the same year.
In 2000, a Pakistan national, Asif Saeed Rana, was caught with 2.34 kilogrammes of heroin and acquitted later while Beninoise Sanoussi Nouroudine Abihola was jailed for trafficking in 250 grammes of the same substance.
Pakistani national Imran Zafar is serving a lifetime in a Kenyan jail after being convicted for possessing 4.3 kilogrammes of heroin in 1999.
Ethiopian Abdirizak Ali Bourow was jailed for 20 years and fined Sh1 million after being found with 230 grammes of cocaine.
German Berthold Clemens Schollitorn was condemned to serve a life term in jail and pay a fine of Sh28 million after being caught with an unknown type of drug while his compatriot, Pluck-Geb Foranzen-Siegleindle was acquitted of drug charges after police claimed they had found 1,681.3 grammes of cocaine on him.
Meanwwhile, the National Agency for the Campaign against Drug Abuse (Nacada) wants security agencies to step up reinforcement of the Mututho law that regulates alcohol consumption.
Law enforcement
Nacada Chairman Frank Njenga said laxity in reinforcing the law has seen most people especially youth go back to abusing drugs.
Dr Njenga noted that most Kenyans living on the Kenya-Uganda border were crossing over to the neighbouring country to consume alcohol because there are no such laws there.
Njenga made the remarks in a speech read on his behalf by a Nacada board member, Owino Achola, during celebrations to mark the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking at Muliro Gardens in Kakamega town on Tuesday.
Njenga said it is important to create public awareness and encourage community participation in control and prevention of drug abuse and illicit brew.
Western Provincial Commissioner Samuel Kilele said the region has a unique alcohol and illicit trafficking and abuse and they had stepped up campaign to control the menace.
