Muslims want drug suspects seized

By NGUMBAO KITHI and PATRICK BEJA

Muslims have demanded the prosecution of prominent personalities banned from the US over drug trafficking.

Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims Chairman Abdulgafur El-Busaidy said the suspects involved in drugs were the enemy of the world and must be punished.

"The US has been sharing counter-terrorism information with Kenya and several people have been arrested, it is upon the Kenya Government to use the information to arrest and prosecute the suspects," said Prof Busaidy during Eid-ul-Adha prayers led by Sheikh Ustadh Shami Uthman at Mombasa Municipal Stadium.

The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights Commissioner Hassan Omar also urged the Government to arrest the suspects.

"As long as the US has this information, it is upon the Government to arrest these people and take them to court," he said.

The Shariff Nassir Foundation Chairman Abdulswamad Nassir said the Government must be directly involved in the war on drugs, adding many youth at the Coast are addicts.

He said drug barons targeted the youth in Mombasa where their future was bleak.

Sheikh Juma Ngao, a member of National Campaign Against Drug Abuse (Nacada) board, urged the US to name and shame those linked to drug trafficking.

Prominent Kenyans

He said drugs had killed several youth and urged the US and Kenya Government to treat the problem as an emergency. "We are pleased as Nacada to ban the five prominent Kenyans, but it has come a bit late because some youth have become addicted to narcotics drugs," he said.

A study by Nacada indicates Mombasa has more than 50,000 addicts who abused heroin, cocaine and bhang.