MOMBASA, Kenya — The government has stepped up security and surveillance at the Port of Mombasa as part of an intensified campaign to disrupt drug trafficking routes and dismantle criminal networks using Kenya’s main maritime gateway.
Interior Principal Secretary Dr Raymond Omollo said the port has become a central focus of coordinated, intelligence-led operations aimed at cutting off the entry and exit points commonly exploited by drug syndicates operating along the Coast and beyond.
According to Omollo, the crackdown is being driven through a multi-agency approach under the Border Control and Operations Coordinating Committee (BCOCC), which brings together security, customs, port authorities and intelligence agencies under the State Department for Interior and National Administration.
“The Port of Mombasa and other key entry points are being strategically fortified through coordinated operations to tighten surveillance and seal traditional trafficking routes,” Omollo said.
He noted that enhanced inspections, real-time intelligence sharing and targeted enforcement have already begun to disrupt supply chains used to move illicit drugs into local and regional markets.
Authorities are also focusing on denying criminal groups the proceeds of crime through asset seizures and forfeiture.
The Government remains firmly committed to curbing the production, distribution and consumption of illicit drugs and alcohol, in line with the Presidential Proclamation on Alcohol and Drug Control, which calls for a whole-of-government approach to enforcement, prevention,
The intensified port operations form part of the wider implementation of the Presidential Proclamation on Alcohol and Drug Control, which calls for a whole-of-government response combining enforcement, prevention, rehabilitation and asset recovery.
Officials say strengthened controls at the port are critical, given its role as the largest logistics hub in East and Central Africa, handling millions of tonnes of cargo annually.
Any security lapse, Omollo warned, risks allowing illicit substances to spread not only within Kenya but across the region.
Alongside enforcement at the port, justice sector reforms are accelerating the handling of drug-related cases through specialised courts, ensuring suspects are prosecuted swiftly and consistently.
The government says the integrated approach is designed to protect communities around Mombasa, safeguard young people from drug abuse and restore socio-economic stability by confronting narcotics trafficking at its source.
