Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has urged church leaders and community members to take the lead in anti-drug campaigns, saying the fight against alcohol and substance abuse cannot be left to the government alone.
Speaking during a church service at St. Francis Katanin Catholic Church in Mosop, Nandi County, on Sunday, Murkomen called on parents to take responsibility for their children’s whereabouts, noting that strong family and community involvement is key to keeping young people from going astray.
“The biggest challenge we are facing now is alcohol and drug abuse. Let’s not leave the fight against these vices to the State alone. Let us take charge of our children so that evil people do not take advantage of them,” Murkomen said.
The CS reiterated President William Ruto’s directive for a nationwide crackdown on illicit alcohol and adulterated ethanol, promising tough action against those involved.
“There are a few people operating here in the North Rift region, getting the ethanol from Uganda and lacing it in local brews, destroying the future of our children,” he said.
“You will be reading from the newspapers what action we have taken against these people. We will be very ruthless.”
His remarks come days after the State announced plans to convert assets seized from drug traffickers into rehabilitation centres to address rising drug abuse and related crime, particularly in Coastal counties.
During a consultative meeting with leaders from the six Coastal counties in Mombasa on security and service delivery, the CS said the government is shifting focus from arrests alone to dismantling the financial networks behind the drug trade.
“We are not just going for the drugs or the arrests. We will also go for their properties, sell them and use the money to build rehabilitation centers,” Murkomen said.
He added that President Ruto has directed county governments to provide land for the construction of the centres, noting that several counties, including Mombasa, have already begun the process.
According to Murkomen, the rehabilitation facilities will help individuals recover from addiction and reintegrate into society as productive citizens.
The Interior CS further noted that drug abuse at the Coast is closely linked to juvenile gangs, crime and alcohol misuse, which continue to pose security challenges. While security agencies have made progress in curbing gang activity, he warned that the problem keeps resurfacing.
“We must reform these young people, engage them in work and skills training, and deal with the drug problem that fuels crime,” he said.
Murkomen added that the government has intensified operations against major drug traffickers, particularly those dealing in heroin, cocaine and synthetic drugs.
