The government has announced that a National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) office will be established in Wajir town in a renewed push to combat drug trafficking in the North Eastern region.
NACADA Chief Executive Officer Dr. Anthony Omerikwa said the new station will be opened within 30 days, noting that while Wajir ranks second nationally in curbing illicit alcohol, the county remains a key transit point for bhang, pharmaceutical drugs, and other narcotics.
“Some of the opioids being abused here include oxycodone, codeine and antidepressants such as Xanax and Valium. We have already arrested traffickers in Thika who confirmed that Wajir was among their key destinations,” Dr. Omerikwa said.
He further raised alarm over miraa chewing, warning that it is linked to rising mental health cases and cancers of the jaw and tongue.
“Wajir has the second-highest cancer cases after Isiolo, largely tied to prolonged miraa chewing combined with harmful accompaniments like soda and chewing gum,” he noted.
Speaking at the 45th Jukwaa La Usalama forum in Wajir, Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said the government will intensify operations against drug smuggling, human trafficking, and illegal arms trade across the county’s porous borders with Ethiopia and Somalia.
“The region has remained largely peaceful due to the cooperation of communities with our multi-agency security teams, but we will not relent in dismantling criminal networks that profit from drugs and human trafficking,” Murkomen affirmed.
He added that while expanded deployments, National Police Reservists, and new technologies are helping secure the county, lasting peace will only come through development.
“The 750-kilometre Isiolo-Wajir-Mandera highway and other infrastructure projects are game changers that will anchor regional trade, boost the livestock economy, and uplift the lives of Wajir residents,” he said.
Murkomen also highlighted progress in civil registration services following the scrapping of the discriminatory vetting process for border counties.
“While only 11,000 residents received IDs last year, more than 27,000 have already been issued this year. We have also abolished fees for first-time ID applicants and scrapped authentication charges for birth certificates used in passport applications,” he said.
Currently, registration services are available in five of Wajir’s six constituencies, with the last registry set to be operational by year-end.
Wajir County, one of the largest in Kenya, sits at the heart of the North Eastern region and shares international borders with Ethiopia and Somalia. Its strategic location makes it a hub for livestock trade and regional commerce, but also exposes it to smuggling networks.
The county has remained largely calm in recent years thanks to community-police collaboration in containing terrorism threats and inter-clan clashes, though officials warn of a rising menace of human trafficking.
Governor Ahmed Abdullahi, Coordination of National Government PS Ahmed Ibrahim, Speaker of the County Assembly Abdille Yussuf, Members of County Assembly, and senior security chiefs were also in attendance.
Murkomen was accompanied by Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, DIG-APS Gilbert Masengeli, DCI Director Mohamed Amin, GSU Commandant Ranson Lolmodooni, PAS Beverly Opwora, Secretary for Internal Security Thomas Saka, andNACADA CEO Dr. Anthony Omerikwa.
Others were Secretary for National Registration Dr. Christopher Wanjau, Secretary for Civil Registration Paul Mwangemi, North Eastern Regional Commissioner John Otieno, Regional Police Commander Pepita Ranka, Regional AP Commander Abdi Argamso, and County Commissioner Karuku Ngumo, among other senior officers.
