HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept
{
"id": 225396,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/225396/?format=api",
"text_counter": 119,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Khamisi",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 246,
"legal_name": "Joseph Matano Khamisi",
"slug": "joseph-khamisi"
},
"content": "Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir. I support this Motion which is very important, particularly, at this time, because the problem of drug abuse is a very serious problem not only in urban areas, but also in rural areas. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to speak about this problem as it relates to the Coast Province. Along the Kenyan coast, this problem is very prevalent. We have young people who have been turned into zombies, because they can no longer think properly and function as human beings, because of the use of hard drugs. If you go to Mombasa City and along the coastal towns, you will be surprised to see the number of children who are hooked to drugs. I am not talking just about bhang, but hard drugs, including brown sugar which is a form of cocaine, which is very addictive and destructive. 692 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES April 18, 2007 These young people - some of them as young as 13 years old - are victims of a society that has ignored this problem. We know, in some of these areas, of individuals who are actually trafficking in drugs. We also know that certain elements in the law enforcement agencies are turning a blind eye to this problem, and allowing people to bring in drugs either by sea, or the normal transportation. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we have a lot of landing sites along the Kenyan coast and they are not policed. We, therefore, have many foreigners who are bringing these drugs by sea into our landing sites and villages. This is a very serious problem. I would like to urge the Government to deploy law enforcement officials at every landing point so that each boat that lands at those sites is inspected and confirmed that it is not carrying or supplying drugs to our people. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, drugs have permeated into our schools as well. There was a time when the Government ordered the closure of kiosks around our schools. I want to tell you that most of these kiosks are actually back, and they are not just selling mandazi and sweets. They are selling mandazi and sweets that are actually laced with drugs. We would like the Government to move very quickly to ensure that those kiosks are actually cleared from around the compounds of our schools. The Government should also ensure that whoever deals with drugs is arrested and prosecuted. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we are talking about drugs and alcohol as forms of drugs. We have a lot of bars around our schools selling alcohol, and they are actually attracting young people. We have a lot of cases of absenteeism from schools because kids are lured by bars, which play loud music and, in the process, sell drugs. I think it would be prudent, if we are really interested in curbing this problem, to move quickly and make sure that we clear those bars and arrest whoever is responsible for supplying drugs to our children. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we have the National Campaign Against Drug Abuse (NACADA), but I do not think it is well funded to be able to provide efficient service of curbing drug and substance abuse. We had a very active director of that agency. But, unfortunately, at the moment, this organization appears to have gone into oblivion. It has ignored what was actually being done successfully by that director and it has now gone to sleep. We have rehabilitation centres. Most of them are actually private rehabilitation centres. They are not well-funded; they are not well-provided with facilities and they are not able to cope with the large numbers of drug abusers. I think time has come for this Government to---"
}