Shun drug barons, women urged

Women in the country have been urged to shun leaders linked to drug trafficking in the next General Election.

Nominated MP Amina Abdalla told a one-day women seminar in Mombasa Tuesday that drug barons were enemies of Kenyan youth and should not be elected to lead.

Addressing 100 women at Pride Inn Hotel, Ms Abdalla said hundreds of youth died every year from drug-related ailments.

"Do not elect drug barons, they are killing our children. If they really want to be leaders, whom will they lead once they kill our youth?, she posed.

"Vet all leaders during this coming election. Leave out leaders associated with drug trafficking. Leave them out because they are killing our children and have no business becoming leaders," she said.

Ms Abdalla said those who abet or support drug trafficking are well known.

"Women all over the country should be wary of them because they will continue their trade once elected to leadership," she told delegates.

She urged NACC to decentralise and spread its awareness campaign to the grassroots.

She called for more funding of NACC to enable it rehabilitate youth addicts to normal life. She warned that the problem of drug abuse was in the increase requiring concerted efforts by stakeholders to arrest it.

The women participants were drawn from Mombasa County.

Coast and Nairobi provinces are said to be leading in Injecting Drug Users (IDUs) having 26,000 and 22,000 victims respectively according to Nacada statistics.

The meeting was organised by the National Aids Control Council (NACC) to sensitise the women on the controversial national syringe programme and was also addressed by NACC Deputy Director, Coordination and Support Dr Sobbie Mulindi.