NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenya is fast becoming a strategic transit hub for international drug traffickers moving heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and cannabis through Eastern and Southern Africa, a new regional report has warned.
According to a damning study released by the Eastern and Southern Africa Commission on Drugs (ESACD) in Nairobi, the country’s ports, airports, and land borders are increasingly being exploited by traffickers who conceal narcotics within legitimate trade routes, with massive volumes slipping through undetected.
The report singles out Kenya and South Africa as critical corridors in what it describes as a growing storm of transnational drug flows across the continent — driven by weak enforcement, expansive coastlines, and rising corruption.
“We are now dealing with a regional crisis that is deepening rapidly,” said ESACD Chairperson and former South African President Kgalema Motlanthe at the launch.
The Commission raised particular alarm over maritime trade routes, saying coastal entry points in Tanzania and Mozambique have become key smuggling lanes for heroin, while Kenya’s proximity and infrastructure make it a prime transshipment point.
The vastness of the Indian Ocean coastline and diversity of vessel traffic continue to frustrate monitoring efforts.
Cannabis Most Common, But Narcotics Surge Alarming
While cannabis remains the most widely used drug in the region, the report identifies Kenya, Uganda, Eswatini, Malawi, and Tanzania as major suppliers — largely through local cultivation.
However, it’s the surge in more potent and dangerous substances like heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine that has health officials and policymakers on high alert.
The ESACD report notes a worrying rise in the potency and availability of these substances.
“The purity of drugs in circulation is increasing, worsening public health risks and adding pressure on already under-resourced health systems,” the report warns.
Health-Centred Approach Urged Over Criminalisation
Representing President William Ruto at the event, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen echoed the Commission’s call for a policy shift from punitive to public health-driven responses.
“We must move beyond traditional approaches rooted in criminalisation, stigma, and exclusion,” Murkomen said. “Sustainable solutions lie in reframing drug policy as both a public health and development priority.”
The Commission argues that decades of harsh drug laws across the region — including mass arrests and imprisonment — have not only failed to reduce drug consumption but have worsened social outcomes.
“Criminalisation has increased infectious disease transmission in prisons, hurt young people’s future prospects, and devastated families where parents are jailed for drug-related offences,” the report states.
It calls for decriminalisation of drug use and greater investment in social services, harm reduction, and healthcare, especially for at-risk youth and marginalised communities.
Honoured to represent H.E. Dr. President William Samoei Ruto at the Eastern and Southern Africa Commission on Drugs ( ESACD) Fourth high-level consultation meeting and flagship report launch in Nairobi.The report by the Commission, chaired by former South African President
Drugs, Corruption, and the Erosion of Institutions
The report also draws a direct line between the expanding drug trade and rising levels of institutional corruption.
It warns that proceeds from trafficking are being used to bribe and compromise state officials, enabling traffickers to infiltrate government systems and evade justice — a pattern already seen in other parts of the world.
“Drug profits are not just fuelling crime, they are eroding governance,” said Dr Mark Shaw, Director of the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime. “This threatens to hollow out institutions from the inside.”
The Commission recommends stronger oversight of enforcement bodies, anti-corruption reforms, and cross-border cooperation to disrupt trafficking networks.
Calls for Coordinated Regional Action
In addition to high-profile African leaders like former Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano and former Mauritian President Cassam Uteem, the Nairobi event drew participation from international partners, including the European Union’s Deputy Head of Delegation in Kenya, Ondrej Simek.
All agreed that fragmented national responses are no longer sufficient.
“This is not just a law enforcement issue — it’s a governance crisis, a public health emergency, and a threat to youth futures,” the report concludes. “We need a coordinated, humane, and forward-looking strategy to turn the tide.”
With Kenya at the epicentre of this regional challenge, the report puts pressure on the Ruto administration to lead a new approach — one grounded in dignity, science, and regional solidarity.
