President William Ruto has announced plans to deploy multi-agency border teams at five key entry points as part of an intensified crackdown on drug trafficking and organized crime in Kenya.
In a statement on Wednesday, January 7, the President announced that the government is accelerating its response to alcohol and drug abuse, in line with the commitments he outlined in his New Year's Address.
President Ruto disclosed that he chaired a multi-agency meeting to fast-track the implementation of measures aimed at combating the drug menace that has continued to threaten the country's social fabric and national security.
According to the President, the relevant legal framework will be finalized to strengthen coordination and accountability across government agencies as additional officers are being deployed to the Anti-Narcotics Unit, with the requisite training and logistical support.
"To disrupt drug trafficking and organised crime, multi-agency border teams will be deployed at five key entry points," President Ruto stated, emphasizing the government's commitment to sealing off major routes used by traffickers.
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The government has also announced plans to establish rehabilitation centers in all 47 counties, working closely with county governments and the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA), alongside strengthened rehabilitation services in national referral hospitals.
He noted that the Social Health Authority will enhance coverage for treatment and recovery, ensuring that victims of drug and alcohol abuse have access to comprehensive care and support systems.
"Our focus remains clear; we will apply a whole-of-government approach integrating prevention, enforcement, treatment, and recovery to safeguard our people and national security," he said.
The announcement comes days after President Ruto proposed the introduction of the death penalty for individuals engaging in drug trafficking during a speech on Saturday, January 3.
Speaking at the event, Ruto argued that individuals involved in the sale of hard drugs such as heroin and cocaine should face the most severe punishment under the law.
"People who sell drugs, heroin, cocaine. Such a person should be sentenced to death," he said.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has been vocal about the threat posed by drug and alcohol abuse, warning that it is destroying the country's most productive population and undermining Kenya's development goals.
"We cannot achieve our first-world status if the most productive generation is being wiped out by drugs and alcohol," he stated.
Earlier on Wednesday, CS Murkomen ordered a new nationwide crackdown on illicit alcohol and drugs, saying the directive followed presidential instructions issued during the New Year Address.
"The prevalence of illicit alcohol and drugs in our country has reached alarming levels, posing a serious threat to the future of our nation. In his New Year Address, H.E. the President directed our Ministry to urgently upscale the fight against this menace," Murkomen said.
