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Ruto on cocaine, heroin dealers: Let them hang
President William Ruto.
What you need to know:
- President Ruto told the National Assembly to be ready to overhaul the current narcotic laws.
Dealers in drug trafficking could face capital punishment, while traders in illicit brew will have their property and vehicles seized by the State under proposed revised narcotic laws and the planned establishment of a special unit to tackle alcohol and drug abuse.
President William Ruto said the proposed amendments will replace previous “lenient” legislation, under which convicted drug traffickers dealing in heroin and cocaine were fined as little as Sh1 million.
“It will not be business as usual for individuals dealing in illicit brews and hard drugs like cocaine and heroin. Those found selling illicit brews will have their vehicles and properties seized. The current legal framework will be amended to declare drug trafficking in heroin and cocaine a capital offence under the law,” said Dr Ruto during a wedding ceremony in Kimumu, Uasin Gishu County.
He challenged the National Assembly to be ready to overhaul narcotic laws to introduce stiffer penalties for the sale of hard drugs and illicit brews, noting that the vice has ruined many families.
“It's unfortunate that those dealing in hard drugs do not consume the substances, nor do their children. It is the children of other families who are destroyed, and we are not going to allow this to continue,” said President Ruto.
He disclosed that more than five million Kenyans, mainly youths, are hooked on drug and alcohol abuse.
The President also directed the Ministry of Interior, the Office of the Attorney-General and the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (Nacada) to amend regulations governing betting and gambling, noting that overindulgence in the activities has ruined many families.
“Many families are depressed after losing property because of gambling, and we are not going to continue like this as a nation. We need a country of order...many parents are going through hell because of drug and alcohol abuse. We must stand up and say no to drug abuse together,” said Dr Ruto.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen also declared 2026 the year to liberate the country from drug and substance abuse.
“We are warning drug barons and distributors of adulterated ethanol that their days are numbered,” said Mr Murkomen.
In his New Year address, President Ruto said his government would treat narcotics abuse “as a national development and security emergency”.
He said a special anti-narcotics unit, comparable to the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU) within the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), would be established to deal with the problem. The new unit will mirror the ATPU in terms of operational capacity.
