Kenya Tinkering With a Time Bomb on Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering

Police guarding a drug haul

The recent formation of a new police task force by police commissioner Mathew Iteere on drug trafficking, piracy and money laundering is most welcomed by Kenyans.

The task force will table its report in 2 weeks after analyzing drug trade reports in the country.

The move will include re-structuring of the Anti-Narcotics police unit for efficiency by changing the superintendent who heads it currently to an assistant commissioner and senior police officers to be in charge.

This move is most welcomed after the Imenti Central MP Gitobu Imanyara tabled a dossier to the parliament implicating corrupt Kenya Revenue Authority personnel, senior politicians and civil servants benefiting from this illicit trade for thwarting the efforts its control.

The US is already alarmed at Kenya turning into a major hard drugs transit point from South East Asia to the West and money laundering aiding Somalia pirates and terrorist.  The country has gone further to bar senior government officials involved in the trade from visiting the country.

US and Mr. Imanyara dossier though downplayed by implicated individuals is a clear warning sign in what corruption of bureaucracy in abating these vice will cause a menace not only to Kenyans but the country image world wide in the backdrop of rebranding the country.

These corrupt sleaze balls driven by lust for money will stunt growth in the country’s sectors of  tourism, education by high rate of drop out and health sector by impotent addicts with the increase of youths hooked to this vice which is already alarming.

That ex-police superintendent Godanna Jarsa had to go into hiding for fear of his life as a whistleblower is sickening in the fight against corruption.

Drug turf wars felt in Mexico, Jamaica by arrest of drug baron Dudus Cork, the poppy war in Afghanistan by Talibans and Guinea leadership stalemate brought by external drug traffickers and barons should never find a place in Kenya at the expense of few complacent fat cats.

Manuel Odeny

Maseno University.