Former Lamu Deputy Governor Eric Mugo has promised to set up a special commission to look into drugs in Lamu if elected governor.
Mugo, who is running for governor on a Narc Kenya party ticket, said a special approach is required to address the the menace of drugs in the region.
He said druglords in the region will be harshly dealt with in order to rid Lamu of the narcotics bug.
Speaking shortly after he was cleared by the IEBC alongside his running mate Dickson Fondo, the 38-year-old Mugo said his administration will focus more on empowering the youth.
However, he said this will be impossible to do until the drug menace is addressed as many youth are hooked.
“During my tenure as deputy governor, our efforts saw the establishment of the first ever rehabilitation centre here," Mugo said.
"We cannot help the youth become productive unless we remove whatever is hindering their growth which in this case is drugs."
He said his administration will set up a special independent committee comprising officials from the county, security, those from the Ministry of Interior and Judiciary to suggest workable solutions on the issue.
The governor candidate said his major objective will be to deal with drug cartels and ensure they are prosecuted and their trade eliminated.
“My approach is majorly based on curbing and preventing drugs from entering Lamu. The committee will help to identify the problematic areas,” Mugo said.
He disputed rumours that he was a political project. “How can I be a project yet I have been Lamu deputy governor for five years? I am my own man."
Mugo said he would also seek to improve the health sector in Lamu, which has for years been plagued by a constant shortage of drugs and personnel.
He said to address the shortage of medical personnel, his administration would offer free scholarships for medical students who will then be required to come back and work as medics in Lamu upon completion of their studies.
“We will offer full scholarships but they must sign a contract to come back and work in Lamu for an agreed upon number of years before they are allowed to pursue other employment opportunities of their choice,” Mugo said.
The plan, according to Mugo, is to ensure that at any given time, Lamu has an adequate number of specialists and medical personnel ready to serve the ailing health system.
He said the plan will also reduce cases of patient referrals to other counties as there will be enough medics.
“My administration will totally eradicate the issue of referrals unless absolutely necessary. We shall upgrade our hospitals,” he said.
Mugo also said his administration will also look to resolve decades of historical land injustices that have plagued Lamu for years.
“We want to issue title deeds from Kiunga on the border of Lamu and Somalia up to Nyongoro on the Lamu-Tana River border," Mugo said.
"We want people to be given land and title deeds to end the more than 50 years of land historical injustices in Lamu.”
Mugo, a sports professional, said his administration will look into talent identification and prioritise sports, both for wellbeing and as a distraction to keep youth away from crime and drugs.
“Lamu is blessed with sports gurus and we want to have renowned clubs like Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and the rest come to Lamu to scout for talents so that we can have that international touch sportswise,” he said.
He said his government will also offer full scholarships to all KCPE candidates who score 250 marks and above to ensure all learners get a shot at higher education.
Mugo holds a master's degree in Sports Management from Kenyatta University and a Bachelor of Science in Sports Science from the same institution.
(edited by Amol Awuor)
