VIENNA, Austria — Kenya has raised the alarm over a growing wave of synthetic drug abuse that is increasingly ensnaring young people and transforming Africa from a mere transit hub into a major consumer market.
Speaking at the 32nd Meeting of Heads of National Drug Law Enforcement Agencies (HONLEA) in Vienna, Austria, Dr. Anthony Omerikwa, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA), warned that powerful new substances are “causing havoc among young people” across the world.
“Current trends indicate a global rise in the abuse of illicit drugs,” said Dr. Omerikwa. “There is a steady shift from traditional substances to synthetic drugs, thereby increasing the number of new psychoactive substances with serious social and health consequences.”
Kenya’s strategic location and global connectivity, he noted, have long made it a key transit route for international traffickers.
But the country now faces a more troubling development — increasing domestic consumption.
“Some African countries are no longer just transit routes,” he cautioned. “There is increasing availability of drugs for local use, a trend that poses an even greater danger to our communities.”
To counter the threat, Kenya is deploying a multi-pronged strategy that combines intelligence-led operations, cross-agency enforcement, and community-based rehabilitation.
The country has made significant seizures of heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine, while simultaneously embracing a public health-centered approach to drug use.
“Kenya is addressing drug-related crime through alternatives to incarceration,” Dr. Omerikwa said. “Diversions are provided for persons using drugs, encouraging rehabilitation and reintegration instead of imprisonment.”
This shift, he added, aligns with Kenya’s commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the principle that “no one is left behind.”
To enhance early detection and response, NACADA is also expanding the National Drug Observatory, a data-driven system that tracks emerging drug trends in real time.
Dr. Omerikwa called for global vigilance against new trafficking methods, including the use of fast parcels, online markets, and the commercialization of controlled substances such as cannabis for non-medical purposes.
He further urged the international community to adopt compassionate, evidence-based approaches that emphasize treatment over punishment.
“Drug users require treatment, not punishment,” he said. “We must shield our young people from highly potent synthetic drugs while ending the stigma against those struggling with addiction.”
The HONLEA meeting, convened by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), brings together senior officials from around the world to strengthen coordination against narcotics trafficking.
This year’s session focused on the surge in synthetic opioids and the evolving tactics of transnational criminal networks.
