Lamu county woman Representative Ruweida Mohamed wants President Uhuru Kenyatta to intervene so as to end the drug menace that has become a disaster in the county. The legislator urged Uhuru to sign a memorandum of understanding with the elders the same way he did with Samburu elders over the Female Genital mutilation FGM so as to help eradicate drug abuse and trafficking that is threatening the young generation.
Speaking during the first International Women’s Day celebrations held in Kizingitini village Lamu East constituency, she said drugs has affected hundreds of youth and people have always advised her not to speak about it for political reasons but revealed she can not be silenced if the generation is being threatened by the menace.
”I would like the same way he did in Turkana the president signed a Memorandum of Understanding, we want similar MOU in our area so that by 2022 drugs will be a thing of the past in Lamu,” she said. Mohamed said Lamu elders are ready for the process to be done so as to wipe out the county from the drug menace and drugs will be out of Lamu by next year.
She said drugs are not only trafficked from Mombasa but even from neighboring Somalia. The legislator said Lamu is a gateway of drugs before it is being distributed to other regions making it the hub of the menace. ”Lamu is counted as among the notorious gateway of drug trafficking which is then supplied to other regions,” she said. The women representative called for cooperation from everyone so as to wipe out the drug menace.
”People have been advising me not to speak about drug abuse and trafficking in Lamu as I risk losing votes but why should I be an MP leading zombies instead of productive people like other Kenyans,” she said. Mohamed said the truth has to be told and its time to deal with the drug trafficking and abuse so that people live in sanity. Drug abuse is rampant in the county particularly Lamu East and has witnessed the killings of two chiefs who were in the forefront of advocating against drug abuse. Even a police officer was last year hacked to death in Lamu East leading the government to declare the area terrorist prone and deployed KDF to address the problem which Lamu county commissioner Irungu Macharia who was present described as successful in the last six months.
Macharia commended the residents for reducing the cases of drug abuse but called for cooperation so as to completely reduce the demand and supply of drugs. He said the county is also faced with challenges of radicalization and terrorism as others have crossed the border to Somalia. ”For the short period I have been here we have reduced the cases of our youth crossing over to the bordering country to join radical groups,” he said.
Macharia commended the women rep for her outstanding leadership and organising the International Women’s Day celebration. During the celebrations attended by hundreds of residents from all corners of the county and Tnni’s famous Taarab legend Hadija Kop a, the women rep also issued cheques from the National government affirmative action fund and then issued loans ranging from the bodaboda, gas cookers, mattresses among other products under the Lamu women’s SACCO which she initiated.
Mohamed also officially launched the Lamu fishermen Sacco to help them access financial support to initiate projects for sustainable development.