This archive report was first published on 14 August 2019.
Published on August 14, 2019, the fight against drug abuse and trafficking in Kenya has been a long-standing issue, particularly in the coastal region and Mombasa town.
Drug peddling and abuse have had a devastating impact on the youth, with harrowing accounts of young people being ravaged by drugs and reduced to zombies.
Unless serious steps are taken to eradicate drug trafficking, the country risks losing an entire generation, with the consequences directly felt in the loss of potentially productive labour.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i's latest visit to the Coast, during which he pledged to step up the government's fight against drug abuse and trafficking, is commendable.
With the most notorious Kenyan drugs cartel having been vanquished, thanks to international support and cooperation, the jailing of the Akasha brothers is a warning to their accomplices still at large that they can run but cannot hide.
As the remnants of the Mombasa drug trafficking empire are sought and seized to face justice, it is essential to step up the creation of awareness on the devastating consequences of drug abuse and for families and communities to play their roles in fighting the scourge.
