NAIROBI, Kenya – The government has declared a tougher war on drug traffickers and illicit alcohol dealers, shifting its strategy to target the wealth and assets amassed through illegal trade.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen announced that the Ministry of Interior will collaborate with the Asset Recovery Agency (ARA) to seize properties and funds believed to be proceeds of crime.
Speaking during the launch of the National Policy on the Prevention, Management, and Control of Alcohol, Drugs, and Substance Abuse in Kenya, Murkomen decried the lenient court penalties currently imposed on culprits, which he said allow offenders to return to business almost immediately.
“We will be engaging the Asset Recovery Agency to see how best to make it more punitive for those engaged in these acts,” said Murkomen. “Maybe the best way is to take away their lorries, cars, businesses – the very assets they have built from crime.”
According to the CS, many criminals in the illicit alcohol and drug trade use political cover to evade accountability. He said the ministry often receives complaints from politicians alleging that local police officers are working against them – only to later discover that these leaders are shielding illicit traders.
“When police officers take a firm stand, the culprits rebrand themselves as government supporters or concerned citizens, yet they are the same people flooding communities with adulterated alcohol,” Murkomen said.
He called for increased awareness within the judiciary to recognize the gravity of the vice and urged county and regional commissioners to engage magistrates and judges through the Court Users’ Committees (CUCs) to ensure more stringent penalties are applied.
“Some of these proceeds from the accounts can be returned to build rehab centers, create awareness, and treat victims,” he stated.
He also pointed to the potential reform of the Penal Code to include presumptive provisions—where suspects found in possession of illicit substances without a valid license would automatically be presumed to be guilty—thereby lowering the high evidence threshold that often hinders convictions.
Holding Officers Accountable
The Interior CS warned that law enforcement officers who tolerate or participate in the trade would be severely punished.
“Any Officer Commanding Station (OCS) found abetting these crimes will face dismissal and prosecution,” he declared.
Murkomen emphasized that the fight must start from the grassroots, urging village elders, assistant chiefs, chiefs, and OCSs to take personal responsibility in the campaign against drugs and illegal alcohol.
The new national policy and the asset recovery initiative come at a time when Kenya is grappling with widespread drug abuse and an influx of cheap, toxic alcohol in urban and rural areas, posing a serious public health and national security threat.
