Narcos: Growing trade in consumption of illicit substances in Kenya

On June 13, 2025, Wendy Mbeke Muli was arrested at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) with a stash of cocaine.

The 26-year-old had ingested pellets of the narcotic, which she later excreted after being placed under medical observation for two days. The recovered cocaine weighed 626.65 grammes.

This is not an isolated incident. In the recent past, several suspects have been seized at the airport attempting to traffic heroin or cocaine.

Mbeke’s arrest coincided with the release of a damning report highlighting Kenya’s role as both a destination and a conduit for heroin trafficking.

TRAFFICKER BUSTED, 626 GRAMS OF COKE SEIZED AT JKIA

Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Anti-Narcotics detectives are preparing for arraignment, a 26-year-old drug peddler, Wendy Mbeke Muli, who attempted to smuggle cocaine by ingesting pellets, in a desperate move aimed at… pic.twitter.com/dqWyigF0xf

— DCI KENYA (@DCI_Kenya) June 15, 2025

According to the Eastern and Southern Africa Commission on Drugs (ESACD), Kenya features prominently in the ENACT Africa Organised Crime Index, owing to its entrenched heroin market. It joins South Africa, Mozambique, and Tanzania on the list of countries most vulnerable to the destabilising effects of narcotics.

The report, launched in Nairobi by ESACD, chaired by former South African President Kgalema Motlanthe, paints a bleak picture of the region’s evolving role in the global drug trade. Eastern and Southern Africa are now functioning as both a critical transit corridor and a major consumption zone for heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, and synthetic substances.

“Long-standing maritime trafficking channels of opiates from Afghanistan to the Eastern and Southern African seaboard are recognized as a significant challenge,” the report states.

These routes, largely unmonitored and porous, according to the report, are now facilitating the movement of heroin and methamphetamines into domestic markets in Africa, rather than merely transiting the region enroute to Europe and the United States.

ESACD notes that since the 1990s, the ports of South Africa and Mozambique have also been incorporated into the global cocaine supply chain, largely from South America. But it is the shift toward regional consumption that marks a new and more dangerous phase.

The coastline of Kenya, stretching from Lamu to Mombasa, has been cited in multiple investigative studies as a strategic node for smugglers.

“The region’s drug markets are becoming increasingly diverse, expansive, and integrated into sophisticated international networks. International drug supply chains are also no longer merely transiting through our region; they are now directly servicing domestic markets,” the report notes.

In remarks delivered on behalf of President William Ruto during the launch of the report, Kipchumba Murkomen, the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration acknowledged the magnitude of the problem.

Dangerous mix

“Our country now faces the dual reality of being both a destination and a transit point for illicit drugs originating from other parts of the world. Despite our robust anti-drug legislation and enforcement efforts, the influx of substances such as marijuana, heroin, and cocaine continue unabated, with profound impacts on our communities,” Dr Ruto stated.

The strategic geographic location of Kenya, coupled with its developed transport infrastructure, advanced financial sector, and open-door policy, has made it a favoured route for international traffickers.

But this same connectivity, the report warns, is exposing Kenyan communities, especially its youth, to a dangerous mix of heroin, cocaine, and synthetic substances.

“The rising prevalence of substances such as cannabis, heroin, cocaine, and synthetic drugs is deeply concerning, particularly as we see growing rates of use among young people across both urban and rural communities,” Ruto said.

Contrary to the common assumption that drug use is confined to cities or coastal regions, the report provides evidence of widespread availability across the interior of Kenya and neighbouring countries.

It warns that the notion of heroin and other hard drugs being limited to a few known hotbeds is outdated.

“Illicit drug markets are no longer confined to the coastal periphery or to the region’s growing urban centres. Heroin, cocaine and synthetic drugs are widely available across the region. Drug markets exist in all secondary and tertiary towns and settlements,” the report states.

Mr Motlanthe said drug trafficking and abuse have become an acute problem in the region.

“Due to their strategic locations along main shipping routes through the Indian Ocean, many countries in the region suffer from illicit drugs. This has led to the rise of organised criminal groups, exacerbating violence and corruption while undermining security and stability,” Motlanthe said.

He said many governments still lack comprehensive, evidence-based drug policies, instead defaulting to punitive measures that do little to address the underlying causes or consequences of drug use.

“To address these issues effectively, a shift towards more comprehensive policies is imperative; focusing on the root causes of drug use while providing rehabilitation and treatment options, particularly for women, children, and youth. The drug problem heavily influences politics, policies and practices in the region, resulting in increasing numbers of people being imprisoned for drug-related offences,” said Motlanthe.

The expansion of the markets, according to the report, is being driven by several factors which includes rising demand, improved infrastructure, the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on movement and online commerce, and the inability of the region to gather reliable data on drug use trends.

A recurring theme in the ESACD report is the lack of credible, up-to-date data on drug use in Africa. With few accurate metrics on how many people use drugs, which substances are most common, and how often they are used, many countries are essentially flying blind.

Mode of control

The data gap contributes to harmful stereotypes and misguided policy. Often, political rhetoric replaces evidence-based action, while criminalization continues to be the dominant mode of drug control.

The ESACD calls for a paradigm shift in how drug issues are approached; moving away from punitive measures toward health-centred and rights-based strategies.

The report also recommends the establishment of a Regional Drug Observatory Mechanism; an intelligence-sharing body under the ESACD that would coordinate early warning systems, harmonise data collection, and inform national policies with real-time information.

One of the findings of the report is the heightened vulnerability of certain populations.

Women who use drugs (WWUD) face multiple layers of vulnerability. They often experience high levels of violence, are more likely to face stigma and discrimination, and have limited access to treatment and harm reduction services.

Incarcerated populations, especially those imprisoned for drug-related offenses, also face elevated health risks with little access to care.

HIV prevalence among people who inject drugs (PWID) remains high; estimated at 16.1 per cent in the region, compared to 5.7 per cent in the general adult population.

However, the report also points to hope; a 41 per cent reduction in new HIV infections among PWID between 2010 and 2023, attributed to health interventions and harm-reduction programming.

Another emerging threat is the spread of methamphetamines.

President Ruto raised concerns that the growing threat posed by methamphetamines have the potential to penetrate drug markets across the region.

The report states that Eastern and Southern Africa drug crisis is not a challenge any one country can confront alone. Trafficking networks operate across borders, and so too must the response.

“The drug problem is not confined within national borders; it is a transnational challenge that demands a coordinated regional and global response,” said Ruto.

According to the report, the region is grappling with an unprecedented surge in drug use, led by widespread consumption of cannabis, heroin, methamphetamine, and crack cocaine.

It notes that the use of injectable drugs such as heroin is on the rise, amplifying the threat of infectious diseases like HIV, Hepatitis B and C, and tuberculosis.

According to the report, while cannabis remains the most widely used substance, heroin and methamphetamine are increasingly reshaping the drug landscape in the region.

Despite cannabis being seen by some as less harmful than other substances, its use carries its own health and social risks, especially when used by minors or in heavily adulterated forms.

According to the report, heroin is widely available in both powder and “stone” form, often heavily adulterated.

Snorted or inhaled

It states that Injecting drug use (IDU) now accounts for 10 per cent to 50 per cent of heroin use in certain communities.

Other forms of use, including smoking heroin mixed with cannabis, snorting, and even oral ingestion, are still prevalent, but the rise in IDU is particularly concerning for health systems.

The report notes that cocaine is readily available in both powder and crack forms in every ESA country. Powdered cocaine, typically snorted or inhaled, is far more expensive and associated with wealthier consumers. In contrast, crack cocaine, which is made by mixing cocaine powder with baking soda, is cheaper, more potent, and widely accessible.

The affordability of crack and distribution through informal networks have made it the dominant form of cocaine in the region.

Alarmingly, reports are also emerging of cocaine being injected in some countries, adding another layer of risk for infectious disease transmission.

Methamphetamine, locally known as “meth,” is now the fastest-growing illicit stimulant in the region. It is already the dominant drug in many communities, replacing crack cocaine as the drug of choice. Initially used in smoked form, meth is increasingly being injected, particularly among younger users.

South Africa has emerged as one of the largest methamphetamine consumer markets globally, with significant footholds in Eswatini, Lesotho, Botswana, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Uganda, and Kenya.

The report states that meth market expansion is inevitable and that its availability will grow rapidly in areas that have so far been less affected.

The report, further notes that apart from methamphetamine, other synthetic drugs such as methaqualone, methcathinone, also known as “cat”, and MDMA, commonly referred to as ecstasy are also circulating.

While methaqualone is typically smoked after being mixed with cannabis, methcathinone is snorted, smoked, or injected and often marketed as a cheaper alternative to meth.

“Data suggests that between 2018 and 2050 the prevalence of annual drug use will increase in the region. This increase of about 14 million people will be fuelled by increased drug availability, economic development, population growth and urbanization,” states the report.

According to the report, despite being the largest demographic group in Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA), young people remain among the most affected and yet least considered in drug policy framework of the region.

The report reveals that the punitive, prohibition-driven drug laws in many countries are doing more harm than good; especially for those under the age of 18.

“Protecting children and young people from harm has often been a key argument in advocacy for prohibitionist, prevention-based drug policy approaches. However, the prevailing trends of drug policy in ESA cause several harms to children and young people,” the report states.

According to the report, youth unemployment rates across the ESA region are alarmingly high, which heightens the risk that young people may be drawn into the drug trade and associated criminal activities.

Willy Mutunga, the former Chief Justice of Kenya and ESACD commissioner, warned that punitive drug laws are devastating young people.

“Thousands of young people in the region are marginalised because they have been convicted of low-level, non-violent drug offences. This worsens their already bleak prospects amid high youth unemployment. Some of the gravest harms caused by poorly formulated drug policy approaches fall most heavily on children and youth,” Dr Mutunga said.

Many young people, especially from marginalized communities, get caught up in the informal drug economy; not necessarily as users, but as low-level distributors, mules, or lookouts.