It will no longer be business as usual as drug dealers in Kenya could face death penalty, and the property and vehicles of people who sell illicit brew seized by the government.
President William Ruto on Saturday, January 3, during a wedding ceremony at Kimumu in Uasin Gishu County, said that the government is working on a legislation that will classify drug and substance abuse offences as capital crimes.
“We’ll deal with drug traffickers and alcohol abuse… People who sell cocaine… such a person will be hanged,” Ruto said, calling on Members of Parliament to support the new legislation.
“The current legal framework will be amended to declare drug trafficking in heroin and cocaine a capital offence under the law,” he explained.
He said the current punishments have not been successful in arresting traffickers, leaving families and communities vulnerable, and that the proposed severe legislation will target those involved in the sale of illegal alcohol and hard drugs.
Kenya Kwanza regime is signaling crackdown on alcohol abuse and hard drugs at a time when about 4.7 million Kenyans aged 15 to 65 years currently use at least one drug or substance, according to the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) – these numbers represent approximately one in every six Kenyans in the age group.
Ruto clarified that current legislation imposes a Sh1 million fine on anyone found peddling drugs like heroin, and that the new law will eliminate this clause and replace it with the death sentence for criminals.
He also said that government will seize property connected to the selling of illegal drugs and alcohol under the proposed legislation that will be presented in Parliament. It will cover automobiles and other items purchased using money from the illicit trade.
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