Kenya.. Emerging DRUGS market

Thursday 28 April 2016

Kenya.. Emerging DRUGS market: DRUGS: The new war Kenya must fight..

DRUGS: The new war Kenya must fight..

The new war Kenya must fight ...

Kenya is at war with illicit drugs barons who relentlessly attempt to turn Kenya in to a market for Narcotics.

Numerous reports, including the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime report of 2011, have cited Mombasa as a region that is increasingly being used as a transit hub for narcotics on the global circuit.

Since he took power in 2013, President Uhuru Kenyatta has sustained the war against narcotics which has led to the destruction of two sea going vessels within a year. In August 28, 2014, Uhuru supervised the destruction of Iranian flagged Mv Bushehr which was impounded with 377kg of heroin worth Sh1.3 billion.

The suspects arrested on board, all foreigners, were denied bail and are still on trial in Mombasa. The vessel was impounded by Kenya’s naval forces with the assistance of foreign navies off the coast of Lamu and dragged to Mombasa mid 2013.

One year later, on August 14, 2015, the military also blew up a Singaporean registered luxury yacht off the Mombasa coast, stuffed with narcotics. Anti-narcotics detectives estimated the heroin seized on the yacht, Mv Baby Iris, to be worth Sh20 million.

The largest drug haul to be made in Kenya’s history involved the capture in 2004 of cocaine worth Sh5.3 billion in Malindi.

In October 2013, a Lithuanian national and a Kenyan woman were arrested at a hotel in Ganjoni area with heroin worth Sh49 million.

In July 2013, police in Mombasa seized heroin worth Sh11 million at the Moi International Airport and arrested a Kenyan woman while boarding a flight to Germany.

In the same month, police arrested a Russian national, Kurtasov in Mombasa and deported him over claims he was involved in drug trafficking.

Kenya is a growing economy which is still struggling with provision of basic health care to it's citizens, provision of quality affordable education, security, infrastructure, food among other issues.

Drug addiction in Kenya is already a threat to socio-economic wellfare of every citizen. Every one is affected in one way or another.

Addiction treatment is out of reach of average citizen, while health insurances companies still shy away from covering Substance use disorder.

Way forward : Substance use awareness forums is the way to go. Funding needs to be directed towards awareness, treatment and aftercare for persons with substance use disorders.

Thika Counseling Home is a Level III private addiction treatment and recovery centre specializing in affording treatment to substance use dependants through the use of medication and psychotherapy within a consciously designed environment.

Kenya.. Emerging DRUGS market

Monday 9 May 2016

Kenya's Alcohol and Drugs Abuse problem: Kenya with Drugs IssuesDrugs are prescribed for ...

Kenya's Alcohol and Drugs Abuse problem: Kenya with Drugs IssuesDrugs are prescribed for ...