Two people have been arrested in Nairobi’s South B area as the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) cracks down on drug abuse.
The two were arrested in a multi-agency, intelligence-led operation that recovered a cache of narcotics and prescription drugs.
NACADA’s Legal Services Director Leackey Illa, who led the operation along Plains View Road in South B, Starehe sub-county, said they targeted a shop where officers from the authority, the National Police Service, and the South B police station seized several rolls and 101 small polythene sachets of dry plant material suspected to be narcotic drugs.
Also recovered were Rizla papers and a digital weighing scale, among other items.
In a related operation in the same neighbourhood, Illa said officers recovered additional rolls of similar plant material.
“All exhibits have been secured and booked at Muthaiga Police Station, while the suspects remain in custody pending their arraignment in court,” said Illa in a statement to newsrooms.
According to him, the back-to-back operations demonstrate Nacada’s intensified crackdown on drugs and substance abuse, particularly in Nairobi, following increased public concern over the proliferation of narcotics.
He said the authority has been conducting nationwide enforcement operations, with a special focus on the capital city, which accounts for a significant share of drug consumption.
While warning that the Authority is closing in on criminal networks that threaten the safety of communities, Illa said, “All drug traffickers and their associates have been put on notice. We are working closely with the community to identify and root out criminals from society to ensure that our communities are protected from the negative effects of alcohol and drug abuse."
He said the authority is banking on community cooperation, which remains a critical pillar in the fight against narcotics.
To him, the South B operations were a direct result of actionable intelligence, highlighting the effectiveness of public partnerships in dismantling drug supply chains.
Amid the operations, the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) is facing mounting pressure to account for its role in the country's escalating counterfeit alcohol crisis, as illicit drinks now account for an estimated 60 per cent of all alcohol consumed across the country.
The crisis has moved beyond a revenue-leakage problem to what consumer advocates describe as a "full-blown public health catastrophe."
The Alcoholic Beverages Association of Kenya (ABAK), the umbrella body for the country's leading alcohol manufacturers, on Thursday raised a red flag, urging the State to protect consumers from illegal and non-compliant products.
The association's statement shifts the spotlight squarely onto the Ruto administration, demanding urgent government action to disrupt criminal trade networks and enhance product traceability.
