President William Ruto has announced plans to deploy more police personnel and vehicles to the fight against drug trafficking, saying Kenya must close the gaps being exploited to bring heroin, cocaine and other narcotics into the country.
Ruto said the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Anti-Narcotics Unit would be expanded and given additional resources to improve its ability to track drug networks and stop illegal consignments from reaching the country.
Speaking during a media interview at State House in Mombasa on Thursday, October 1, the President said the government was already implementing measures to strengthen the specialised unit, including increasing its workforce and improving the skills of officers handling drug-related investigations.
“We will fight to ensure that they do not enter our country,” Ruto said.
The President said the creation of a specialised anti-narcotics department within the DCI was part of the government's response to the drug trafficking problem.
“Our focus, and this is the instructions I gave last year, is we are strengthening the department, the Anti-Narcotics Unit in DCI to make sure that we increase personnel,” he said.
Ruto said officers in the unit had also undergone high-level training to equip them with the skills needed to investigate drug trafficking and deal with those involved in the trade.
He said better transport and logistical support would also be provided as the government works to improve the unit's operations.
The planned support comes as the government prepares to receive 1,000 additional police vehicles before December, with Ruto saying the Anti-Narcotics Unit will also benefit from the new vehicles.
“We increase the personnel, we get the right personnel, and we increase their capacity and give them enough capacity in terms of transport and logistics to make sure that they can deal with the challenge of heroin, cocaine, and drugs in general, including the abuse of alcohol,” he said.
Ruto was responding to a question on the government's approach to drug trafficking at the Coast, including concerns over whether enforcement agencies were concentrating on major figures behind the trade or mainly arresting people at the lower levels.
The journalist also questioned the continued availability of hard drugs in the region and sought to know what steps the government was taking to deal with the problem.
Ruto said government action alone would not be enough to address drug and alcohol abuse, calling for families and communities to take part in efforts to protect young people from substance abuse.
He said religious leaders and parents also had a responsibility to help discourage young people from taking drugs.
“So society has to step in also,” he said.
The President said the response would therefore involve both efforts to prevent narcotics from entering Kenya and measures aimed at reducing drug use among young people.