Nairobi News

Drug barons have made their way into government positions from where they continue manipulating systems to advance their illegal businesses, the national anti-drugs watchdog has said.

National Authority for the Campaign against Alcohol and Drug Abuse director Wilfred Kogo said the barons had sought leadership positions in both national and county governments which they use to protect their ill-gotten wealth.

According to Rev Kogo, the barons had also invaded institutions of higher learning where they recruited youths and trained them to market drugs to their peers.

He was speaking at Iten Town on Saturday after the agency held a ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of a Sh10 million rehabilitation and treatment centre at the County Referral Hospital.

He called on youths to avoid drug abuse saying the country did not have enough resources to conduct rehabilitation and the money should be put into other development matters.

The agency’s chief executive William Okedi said they had set aside Sh90 million for the construction of rehabilitation centres in counties.

Elgeyo-Marakwet was the first to benefit from the funding owing to its elaborate procurement system and the steps the county had taken to fight alcohol abuse, said Dr Okedi.

He said the centre will offer training to staff to also sensitise against drug abuse.

Elgeyo-Marakwet deputy governor Gabriel Lagat welcomed the construction of the facility saying in the past the county was forced to take people to Eldoret and as far as Kisii for rehabilitation programmes.