In the underbelly of Kenyan politics, a sinister nexus exists, there is a disturbing connection between some powerful politicians and the notorious drug trade in Mombasa. This was revealed by Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on Thursday, April 4 during a fundraising in Malindi.
The DP revealed that some politicians and businessmen were behind the drug trade at the coast and that the drug barons had become filthy rich in the process.
Gachagua noted that the illicit trade was earning the barons billions of shillings at the expense of the youth who were most affected by drug addiction.
For years, whispers and rumors have circulated about a deeply entrenched nexus between influential figures and criminal networks, but the details have remained elusive.
According to an article by VOA on July 23, 2019, a Kenyan lawmaker and businessman had been named one of seven so-called “kingpins” targeted by the United States for drug trafficking.
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And on 18/10/2019, france24.com had reported that the city of Mombasa, the largest port in East Africa, had become the capital of a new drug trafficking route. It reported that heroin from Asia and cocaine from Latin America were transiting through Kenya, before heading to Europe.
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On January 10, 2020, Reuters reported that a US Judge sentenced Ibrahim Akasha, a member of Kenya’s Akasha drug trafficking organisation, to 23 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to trafficking heroin and methamphetamine and other crimes.
Gachagua promised that the government was keen on addressing the menace and warned that the politicians and businessmen will be held to account. He said that the government had intensified operations against those in the drug business and soon they will catch up with them.
“I want to tell the barons who are filthy rich, some of whom are politicians and businessmen and have made billions of shillings from selling drugs, that God will punish them.
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“They are making money while they kill our children. We shall deal with you. You can run but they will not hide,” Gachagua stated. He However did not reveal the names of the politicians and the businessmen that are involved in the drug trade
On March 6, the government launched a nationwide operation against alcohol and drug abuse spearheaded by Gachagua himself and Kithure Kindiki, the Interior Cabinet Secretary.
Now with Gachagua’s revelation, it is evident that there is an intricate web of connections that bind some politicians with drug kingpins and the lure of easy money and power has bred a culture of impunity in Kenya.
There is collusion and corruption that has allowed the drug trade to flourish in Mombasa which by extention has affected the rest of the Country.
But, for drug addiction to become a national problem in Kenya, there is a systemic failure and weaknesses within law enforcement that have facilitated this insidious alliance, preventing justice from being served.
About the Author
Isaac Mbugua is a Senior Journalist and Digital News Writer at Diaspora Messenger News Media
