Africa-Press – Kenya. Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir has backed President William Ruto’s call for the death penalty for drug traffickers and peddlers.
Speaking on Sunday at Africa Divine Church in Nyali, he warned that the narcotics trade continues to pose a serious threat to society, particularly in Kenya’s Coast region.
He went on to say that the scale of drug abuse in Mombasa had reached alarming levels, with health facilities bearing the brunt of the crisis.
He cited data from Port Reitz County Hospital indicating that more than half of admissions in recent months were linked to drug use.
“I support President William Ruto’s call for the death penalty for drug traffickers and peddlers. The narcotics trade continues to be a grave threat to society, especially here at the Coast,” Nassir said.
According to the governor, hospital records from July, August and September show that over 50 per cent of patients admitted at Port Reitz County Hospital were affected by drug-related conditions, largely attributed to the use of jaba, also known as muguka.
“At Port Reitz County hospital, statistics for July, August and September over 50% of those admitted is because of Jaba (Muguka),” he said.
Nassir reiterated his long-standing opposition to the presence of muguka in Mombasa, saying he had consistently warned against its introduction into the county.
“I am among the first people who said Muguka should never have been allowed to enter Mombasa,” he stated.
While supporting harsher penalties for traffickers, the governor stressed that the fight against drugs must also address substances that are currently legal but harmful, particularly to young people.
He warned that muguka, widely traded as a cash crop, was increasingly contributing to addiction and social problems.
“That said, we must also wake up to the threat that other substances such as Muguka pose to our youth,” Nassir said.
He called on Parliament to urgently review existing laws governing the crop, urging legislators to reclassify it from a cash crop to a harmful drug.
“I urge our legislators to consider legislative amendments to formally eliminate Muguka from the schedule of cash crops and classify it as a harmful drug,” he said.
Nassir argued that decisive national action was needed to curb substance abuse and protect families from the long-term effects of addiction.
“We need decisive national action to protect our families and future generations,” he added.
The governor’s remarks come amid renewed national debate on drug trafficking, capital punishment and the regulation of muguka, with the government under pressure to balance public health concerns, law enforcement and economic interests tied to the crop.
