Nassir to government: You've failed us on war against drugs

Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir has lashed out at the national government accusing it of failing to deal with the drug menace at the Coast.

Nassir accused the government of empty rhetoric even as the drug issue continues to threaten the future of many youth in the region.

“Until when will we be lied to that the government is going to arrest drug barons and peddlers? You (government) have intelligence, you have the DCI yet you have failed us.

“If you can’t do it, tell me I set up a special county team to deal with the matter,” Nassir said.

The governor was speaking at Lohana Hall in Majengo Saturday afternoon during the launch of issuance of funds to schools for the Leave No Child Behind capitation programme.

His sentiments come barely a week after Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua attended an Illicit Alcohol And Drug Eradication Conference in Mombasa.

The DP questioned why some leaders at the Cost were absent during the conference yet it was an important forum to discuss the drugs issue affecting a large population of the youth in the region.

"Why are some leaders not present in this forum? This is a very important conference to discuss the very existence of our population in the region. This is a conversation that every elected leader should be part of because there is a serious problem," Gachagua said.

The DP also questioned the silence of Coast leaders over the drug menace in the region.

“Why are leaders at the Coast quiet as our young population is being killed and destroyed by drugs?” Gachgaua posed.

“There is a serious crisis in Mombasa and the leadership is quiet. At least I can attest that Nyali MP Mohamed Ali has been vocal about the issue, but other leaders are quiet," Gachagua said.

In response, Nassir said the government was insincere with the anti-drugs war saying despite having intelligence and all the resources to arrest barons and peddlers, they had failed in this mandate.

He asked the national government to stop issuing threats and warnings, and instead take action and parade the people they suspect to be behind the vice before the public.

‘Don’t come here and threaten us, we want to see action. We must speak the truth, enough of empty rhetoric, we want to see action,” Nassir said.

The governor said almost every family in Mombasa has been affected by the menace and as such, the time of using the agenda to insult Coast leaders was over and action must be taken.

“Almost every family in Mombasa has been affected with the drug issue, even I lost my own brother to drugs. We will not continue to allow people speak with no action, don’t say you were not in government in the previous regime, you are now in power, take action,” he said.

Likoni MP Mishi Mboko criticised the DP saying he was politicising the matter at the expense of Mombasa people who have been adversely affected by the vice.

Mboko said she has been giving intelligence to officers but no action has ever been taken and alleged that some officers could be beneficiaries of proceeds of drugs.

“Your officers know where drugs are sold, every now and then I give your officers intelligence about were drugs are sold but no action is taken,” she said.

‘Do you want me to take cuffs and arrest them myself?” she posed.

Mboko expressed disappointment that the government with trained officers and all the tools at its disposal has failed to make any major arrests.

“It is a shame that officers trained by taxpayers money and with a lot of intelligence yet they don’t take action,” she said.

The DP and Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki on Monday warned that major arrests will be done in four days’ time.

“You said arrests will be made in four days, if I count properly today (Saturday) is the fifth day, tell us what you have done?” Mboko asked.

“Unless you want to politicise the issue of drugs, if not, you have the capacity to zero-rate the drugs issue in Kenya,” she added.