The naming of the individuals was big news then. The story hogged newspaper headlines across the globe for quite some time. Nearly ten months since then, not much attention is being paid to the thorny issue of drugs and drug abuse.
But to the few still keeping a keen eye to the goings-on in the society, the drugs conundrum is alive and furiously kicking. The havoc that abuse of hard drugs is inflicting on our society is far beyond the realms of imagination. Young lives are increasingly wasting away due to an unmitigated abuse of drugs.
In Kenya Coast province is undoubtedly the hardest hit. The toll that drugs have taken on many youth at the Coast is plainly inexplicable. The reason as to why Obama’s call to the world to arise and seriously wage war against drugs, drug abuse and drug kingpins seems to have been relegated to the gutters remains unclear to me.
But amidst the scant attention that the world and Kenya in particular is paying to the drug menace, there is a handful of individuals whose resolve to do something to rid Kenya of hard drugs cannot go unnoticed. These are gallant sons and daughters of our soil who have laid their lives on the line in their quest to halt the destruction that drugs are visiting on fellow countrymen and women.
But as it always happens, evil does not easily give way to good. The two forces of evil and good have since the inception of time been engaged in a vicious battle for supremacy. The proponents of what is good can, nonetheless, take inestimable solace in the fact that no matter how furiously and ferociously evil fights, what is good eventually triumphs. On December 17,2011, former Ethics PS John Githongo and International Center for Policy and Conflict boss Ndung’u Wainaina published a story titled, “DRUGS, THE FINAL FRONTIER IN THE WAR AGAINST CORRUPTION” in the Weekend Star.
This story vividly brought home to us how huge and gargantuan the drug problem is. Writing in the said article, the two advocates of good governance had these to say about the drug problem in Kenya, “IN MIDDLE CLASS circles, first in whispers but with increasing volume, it’s now clear that we have an internal drug problem as well. Kenya is not only a trans-shipment point from the Far East to the West-we have become consumers as well. The Coast has been particularly had hit, especially by heroin delivered as ‘brown sugar’. Teenagers at some of Nairobi’s most prestigious schools have gotten caught up in the problem as well helping create a fledgling but lucrative drug rehabilitation industry in the country.”
Apprehensive of Githongo’s and Ndungu’s efforts to take the dragon of hard drugs head on, one of the suspected drug Kingpins has since moved to court, in protest of what he terms as an unwarranted violation of his constitutionally guaranteed rights. The case is still sub judice, a fact that restrains me from delving into its merits or demerits.
There are, however, documents in the public domain in regard to this case whose contents leaves more questions than answers. One such document titled “WE THE PEOPLE” THERAPY ON NARCOTIC TRAFFICKERS IN KENYA, allegedly prepared by John Githongo during his reign as the CEO of Twaweza particularly got me curious.
What is strange about this document is that it was purportedly prepared last year yet Githongo left Twawaza way back in June 2010. At the same time records at Twaweza clearly indicate that no such document was ever prepared. This then puts the authenticity of the document in serious question.
In the selfsame suit allegations abound as to how some meeting to strategise on how to demonstrate against drugs and drug kingpins was on November 28, 2011 held at the British High Commission in Upper Hill Nairobi. At the meeting, said to have been attended by about 30 people, Githongo and Ndung’u are alleged to have strategised on how to raise funds from donors and mobilise youth in diverse parts of the country to demonstrate against suspected drug Kingpins.
According to the document, these demonstrations were to be held in Coast, Central, Western, Nairobi and Rift Valley. The Nairobi demonstrations were to be major and more funds were to be set apart for that. The target was to capitalise on the idleness of many Kenyan youth and mobilise at least a thousand youth in each of the five regions.
These allegations, however, fly in the face of a letter from the British High Commission in which the commission refutes in the strongest terms possible claims that such a meeting was ever held at its premises.” The strongly-worded letter reads in part: “The British High Commission wishes to make clear that the allegations are totally false and baseless. Firstly, there was no such meeting on November 28 at the High Commission. Secondly, none of our staff has ever attended such a meeting involving the group that is claimed to have gathered at the High Commission for the stated purpose. Thirdly, the High Commission takes great exception to the fanciful allegation that it would organise such a meeting for the stated purposes. Fourthly, that at no time has the High Commission offered funding to the group to undertake drug abuse programmes or activities.”
It cannot go unnoticed that in respect of the allegations in this case, a number of the defendants, including Githongo, Wainaina and Tom Mboya, have all sworn affidavits denying having planned demonstrations in the first place. Furthermore, the three also deny any knowledge of the alleged meeting at the British High Commission.
While a number of far-reaching orders were initially granted on the January 9, in the absence of the above defendants, who had not been served, it is also of interest that those orders have now lapsed given the fact that the Plaintiff’s advocates did not seek an extension at the hearing on February 14. The matter comes up again for hearing on February 23.
As earlier on intimated it is the forces of darkness and light that are locking horns in this whole spectacle. People who are believed to have made a killing out of peddling drugs are not just about to let go. The inescapable question is, will the Kenyan society and the world at large just seat and watch as so much harm is visited on young lives by hard drugs? Is it not time for all who care to rise in total defiance of the myriad threats to their lives and stay this mess?
This article was published in the Star Newspaper on February 18, 2012
No comments:
Post a Comment