The thinly lined streets of Lamu island create the perfect opportunity for covert movement.
Most of the unnamed streets, alleyways and buildings add to the cover necessary for engaging in activities undetected.
This is the setting of the island's heroin dens; abandoned, incomplete houses with blackened walls from the soot of fires burned by temporary inhabitants.
Inside the dimly-lit structures are mostly men, sometimes one or as many as five, intravenously injecting themselves with heroin, or 'shooting up'.
The coastal region has been a haven for the trafficking and sale of heroin since the 1980s.
Efforts to stamp out the vice have been hampered by alleged massive corruption by a ring of well-placed state and police officials.
Deputy President William Ruto recently cautioned drug traffickers saying the growth of the area's economy must be safeguarded.
"This seaport is practically a lifeline, being a key trade linkage between our region and the outside world,” he noted.
He accused drug barons of perpetuating violence through radicalisation to draw attention away from their activities.
“I am warning you that we will not spare anyone irrespective of the position you hold. When we find you, be ready to face the law. This is a matter of public interest,” he said.
Pictures taken in Lamu on November 21, 2014.