News

Wajir County deploys multi-faceted approach to curb drugs abuse

Retired Assistant Deputy Inspector of Police Mohamed Sheikh Abdi during the taskforce strategy meeting.

By Issa Hussein | Tuesday, January 30, 2024

A task force recently formed by Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi to eradicate drug and substance use in the county convened a strategic meeting today to enforce their mandate.

Wajir Chief Officer of the Municipality, Omar Shano, said the task force, headed by retired Assistant Deputy Inspector of Police Mohamed Abdi Sheikh, will undertake activities discussed in the meeting to eradicate the drugs and substance use affecting local youth.

Keep reading

He noted that the Anti-Drug and Hard Substance task force outlined a comprehensive strategy targeting to wipe out the use of Bhang and Changaa. "A multi-faced approach of using religious leaders, law enforcement agencies, and community engagement was among strategies to be used against the drug abuse exercise," he said. Shano mentioned Youth Sensitization Initiatives where the task force will conduct a sensitization campaign among various stakeholders.

"Religious leaders were added to the task force, and we will still engage more to use their influence in the community against the vice," stated the Chief Officer. He revealed that mapping of the hotspots and peddlers involved will be done to apprehend all involved in the sale of the harmful substances.

He expressed commitment towards collaborative efforts seeking to disrupt the supply chain and financial networks supporting the drug syndicate. The Municipality CEO, Abdinur Hussein, said the task force was equal to the task, and expectations were high that they would successfully achieve their mandate. He said Wajir county was facing a challenge due to the high number of youth involved in drug abuse.

Omar Abdi Hassan, chairman of Burwaqo youth group in Wajir Town, claims the high usage of bhang was a result of the town serving as a transit route for bhang, ferried from Ethiopia-Moyale to Nairobi. He said drug traffickers, avoiding the multiagency security surveillance along the main Moyale-Isiolo route, were using cut lines that linked them to Wajir Town.