The no nonsense Interior CS Fred Matiang’i has slammed the Judiciary for derailing the war on drugs. He claims that that arm of government lacks the needed seriousness and commitment in fighting drug menace and cartels. In his words, Matiangi finds it unthinkable fr an individual to be arrested and released on bond more than five times with their criminal records on question.
The Akasha brothers he says, would still be walking free and recruiting innocent Kenyans into their dirty business had they not been handed to the US authorities where they have been charged and convicted of drug trafficking.
He asked the DCI the number of times Baktash and Ibrahim Akasha had been released on bail and the response was that the two brothers hardly spent a night in cells. They walked in and walked out.
The CS found it it shameful that the two had to be extradited to the US to face the law because they probably had no chance of facing the law in Kenya. He cited the slow judicial process in the country as lack of seriousness in fighting drug war by some agencies.
Speaking in Nairobi during the launch of National Campaign against Drug Abuse Strategic Plan 2019-22, he noted that he was happy with how things have been done in the past year and urged other agencies in chain to do their part, convict and send people where they belong, prison.
Having served in the Educational docket, Matiang’i said he has seen the damages the drugs have had on young people and school going children. The point that it is the right of the suspect to be released on bail should be looked at both sides. it is also the right of children to live without drug criminals in their midst.
He took a day and walked in Kisauni Constituency last month and he says what he saw is painful. The effects drug has had on young Kenyans can sink the entire society. The CS lamented that despite the efforts to nest drug lords they have always been released on bail.
