The government will intensify efforts to end illegal immigration, drug trafficking and contraband goods in Northern Kenya, a senior administrator has said.
Northeastern regional commissioner Nicodemus Ndalana told local administrators to block all routes used by irregular migrants and smugglers.
He spoke on Monday after commissioning the Hadado subcounty in Wajir.
Ndalana said that people from neighbouring Ethiopia and Somalia have been crossing into the country illegally and that the government will close the routes and take firm actions against the immigrants.
He asked the police to be alert on those illegal routes and do thorough searches of all vehicles to make sure that drugs are not brought into the region.
“The truth is, there’s bhang coming from Shashamane in Ethiopia to Al bajan in Wajir and then it moves to Garissa, Isiolo and Nairobi. We need our officers to be keen of these routes,” Ndalana said.
“There are a lot of contraband goods coming from Somalia and we know the proceeds will likely be used to fund al Shabaab. As a government, we will stop this business. We intercepted a lorry carrying 2,300 bags of illegal sugar unsafe for consumption,” he said.
Eldas MP Aden Keynan asked local leaders and police to come together and strongly condemn drug abuse in the region.
“The drugs from Ethiopia are destroying our children. We want to urge the government to intervene, arrest those doing this business and charge them in a court of law so that we can save our future generations,” he said.
Last week, Nacada CEO Victor Okioma met Northeastern regional and county multi-agency teams in Garissa to chart ways of ending drug trafficking in the region.
The team noted that drug trafficking in the region could be easily eliminated because it is not rampant.
They agreed to thwart the intentions of those who may want to start abusing drugs before they are addicted.
Present during the commissioning of the subcounty were CAS for Environment Mohammed Elmi, Wajir West MP Ahmed Kolosh, Wajir Senator Abdullahi Ali, Wajir South MP Mohamud Omar and Tarbaj MP Ahmed Bashane.
(Edited by Bilha Makokha)
