Justina Wamae: Let’s honour the late Ken Okoth by legalising marijuana
By Kevin CheruiyotFormer Roots Party presidential running mate in the just concluded General Election Justina Wamae has lobbied for alternative means for the legalization of marijuana after the party’s presidential candidate Prof George Wajackoyah failed to clinch the presidency.
Ms Wamae, in her interview with The Tackle has called on Kenyans to ask Members of Parliament to legalise bhang for commercial use, adding that it would also serve as remembrance to former Kibra MP, the late Ken Okoth.
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“The agenda of legalising bhang was well thought of and it was amplified by the Roots Party but other people have been pushing it. We can even honour the late Ken Okoth because other countries have been doing it,” Ms Wamae said.
The late Okoth, who died in 2019, had been a firm advocate for the legalisation of marijuana. In 2018 he had gone to the extent of requesting the Speaker of the National Assembly, Justin Muturi, for assistance in preparation of the necessary Bill for publication.
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In the proposed Bill, the late Okoth had proposed for the growth and safe use of the stimulant and hemp and thereafter the registration of growers, producers, manufacturers and users, with special focus on protection of children or minors from its illicit use.
Prof Wajackoyah’s main agenda during his campaign was the legalisation of marijuana for revenue that the country would use to repay national debts to China.
During the interview, Ms Wamae said that had Prof Wajackoyah been elected president, the idea would have been realised and the country would have moved forward. She also said that the party would have come up with strict measures to prevent misuse of the stimulant.
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About her well-publicised fallout with Prof Wajackoyah, Ms Wamae said that she is yet to resign from the party, and that she would only do so after receiving official communication from the party.
This comes even as Prof Wajackoyah on Thursday named Vinod Ramji as deputy party leader. Prof Wajackoyah finished third in the presidential election with 61,969 votes, which translated to 0.44 per cent of the votes cast.
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