President William Ruto has declared alcohol and drug abuse a national development and security emergency, unveiling sweeping measures to confront what he described as a growing threat to Kenya’s health, productivity and stability.
In his New Year’s address, the President revealed that one in every six Kenyans aged between 15 and 65 more than 4.7 million people is currently using at least one drug or substance of abuse. He warned that the crisis has escalated beyond a social problem into a full-blown national emergency.
“The burden falls heaviest on men and young people,” Ruto said. “One in every three Kenyan men uses drugs or alcohol, while one in five young adults aged between 25 and 35 is affected.”
According to the President, alcohol remains the most widely used substance, with more than 3.2 million current users. He expressed concern that initiation into substance abuse often occurs between the ages of 16 and 20, with some cases reported as early as seven years old.
Ruto said Kenya’s economic growth and security are at risk if millions of citizens remain trapped in addiction, particularly young people who form the country’s most productive population.
To confront the crisis, the President announced the establishment of a strengthened Anti-Narcotics Unit within the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), with operational capacity comparable to the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit.
The unit will be expanded from the current 200 officers to 700, through fresh recruitment and redeployment, and will be fully equipped with modern surveillance, intelligence, forensic and financial investigation capabilities. It will work closely with NACADA, the National Intelligence Service, border agencies, county governments and international partners.
Asset tracing, seizure and forfeiture will now form a central part of all narcotics and illicit alcohol investigations. Ruto said all assets linked to drug trafficking including cash, vehicles, land and businesses will be treated as proceeds of crime, frozen and forfeited to the State, with proceeds redirected to rehabilitation and prevention programmes.
The President also urged the Judiciary to consider the establishment of specialised courts to fast-track drug-related cases, noting that narcotics crimes should be treated as organised criminal enterprises.
In addition, border security will be enhanced through increased capacity for the Border Patrol Unit and the National Police Service, supported by modern surveillance technologies to monitor cross-border movement.
Ruto said the government will enter the new year with firm political will and coordinated action across agencies to stem the tide of alcohol and drug abuse, warning that failure to act decisively would compromise Kenya’s future.
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