Vihiga must break free from the grip of marijuana

The recent visit to Vihiga County by Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has sparked conversations that many in the region have for years chosen to avoid. During his stop in Luanda town, he made a blunt but honest remark: Marijuana use has become so deeply entrenched in the community that policing alone cannot eradicate it. His words unsettled some, but they rang true. The drug menace in Luanda is no longer confined to whispers in backstreets; it has grown into a crisis that now defines public life and demands urgent, collective action.

Mr Murkomen also highlighted a troubling reality-that Vihiga County records a disproportionately high number of patients suffering from mental disorders, many of whom have a history of drug abuse. This fact alone should sound alarm bells across the region. When a community becomes associated with mental instability, violence, and wasted potential, then the crisis is no longer simply medical. It takes on a social, cultural, and economic dimension that undermines the very foundation of society.