COUNTRY: KENYA
COMMITTEE: UNITED NATIONS OFFICE OF DRUG AND CRIME
AGENDA: ADDRESSING THE IMPACT OF DRUG USE ON EDUCATION AND
CULTURAL HERITAGE
A. Kenya as a country upholds that education is a fundamental way to promote
economic, social, and political development. It opens new perspectives, inspires people, and
offers openings for active contribution in growth by offering knowledge, attitudes, and skills
that are compatible with workable development. The Government of Kenya is committed to it
by having Education as one of the objectives in Kenya's vision 2030 and ensuring Universal
Primary Education (UPE) irrespective of their economic, social, and cultural position. The
outcome is that literacy rates of Kenya are 82.88% which is close to world average at 87%.
But Kenya perceives that this aim is likely not to be accomplished partly due to drug abuse
on rise in Schools all around the world. Kenya strongly wants to point out that according to
the World Drug Report 2007, approximately 200 million people, about 5% of the world’s
population aged between 15 and 64 years, have used drugs at least once in the previous
months. Today it has invaded homes, schools, and workplaces, affecting individuals of all
ages and classes (UNDCP, 1992).
It is to place on record that a study in public secondary schools in Wajir East District, Wajir
County has found that miraa (khat), alcohol, tobacco (cigarettes) and marijuana (bhang) are
most commonly abused drugs by the students. Highly addictive Drugs like opiates
(heroinAe), cocaine, amphetamines, nicotine, glue sniffing, mandrax, inhalants,
methaqualone and cannabis have also found way in the schools. The study established that
students abused drugs mainly due to peer pressure, lack of discipline and parental
encouragement, lack of school policies on drug abuse, lack of parental guidance on drug
abuse, social pressure from the media, frustrations due to poverty, low self-esteem,
depression, anxiety, need to relax, overcome boredom, among others.
The study indicated that effects of drug abuse include addiction, violence, high-risk sexual
behaviour, hospitalization for overdoses with some succumbing to drug related diseases, poor
academic performance, school dropout, dependency on drugs, learners' unrests, refusal to
undertake various activities, sit in and at other instances complete damage of institutional
assets and in extreme cases even led to death.
The Kenyan Government has taken a strong stand against this evil with the President William
K S A Ruto at State House Kenya, Nairobi stating on 24 th June 2024 "We will work with all
leaders to liberate the Coast region - and other parts of our country - from drugs and
substances use. This will make our societies healthier and productive."
B. Kenya has a young population (73% of residents under 30) out of a population of
approximately 48 million in January 2017 (Wikipedia). It also has a diverse population that
includes many of Africa's major ethnoracial and linguistic groups. Culturally drug abuse
hasn’t been a part of Kenyan Society, with restricted use of tobacco and alcohol by the male
and female elders on social occasions. But post-colonial way of life and subsequent
industrialization, poor family cohesion and poor mitigatory mechanisms have made drug
abuse rampant.
C. Geographically also traffickers exploit Kenya’s long Indian Ocean coastline by
transporting it in small oceangoing vessels (dhows) and lack of adequate security controls at
the port of Mombasa, from where it is distributed throughout Africa, Europe, and North
America. Kenya’s location frustrates supply reduction strategies.
Further drug trafficking organizations take advantage of corruption within the Kenyan
government and business community, and proceeds from drug trafficking further contribute
to the corruption of Kenyan institutions. Corruption, weakened systems, insufficient border
controls make Kenya a haven for producing methamphetamine and psychotropic substances
in clandestine labs to transport synthetic drugs to users internationally. Kenya has become an
attractive destination and transit point for drug traffickers. This vulnerability is highlighted by
a report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), which notes the
significant quantities of heroin being seized in coastal areas of East Africa.
The most common threats Kenya faces today includes -Terrorism, Corruption, ethnic tribes
losing identity, HIV/AIDS and burden on the health infrastructure as a result of drug
trafficking and abuse (http://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke/handle/11295/104755).
D. Kenya’s approach to countering the drug problem is punitive and entails laws that
criminalise drug use under “The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Control
Act” .It criminalises the possession and use1; trafficking with penalties ranging from 20 years
imprisonment to life imprisonment or fines twenty million Kenya shillings (USD 20,000).
The state also approaches the drug problem through HIV prevention programs as it has one of
the highest HIV prevalence rates in the general population standing at 5.6%.2
As part of mitigation efforts Kenya has made significant progress in drug treatment and
prevention with U.S. support, the Community of Anti-Drug Coalitions of America has
worked with Kenyan leaders from national, regional and municipal governments and a broad
range of society to develop strategies that prevent drug use and reduce crime and violence.
Kenya is also using U.S.-developed curriculum to train and professionalize the substance use
treatment workforce. Also, Kenya is a party to multilateral conventions that contain
provisions regarding extradition and mutual legal assistance.
E. However, we understand and appreciate that no single country or organization is fully
capable of addressing the issues that arise out of drug abuse on education and cultural
heritage as it is widespread internationally and affecting our future generations and rich
cultural legacies. As an outcome Kenya draws attention to the need for international
collaboration, to inquire all countries to work together to both avoid and resolve the issue at
hand. The basic problem necessitates a holistic and inclusive strategy keeping in view the
nation’s social, geographic, economic and demographic situations in view. The strategies
shall incorporate aspects of student’s safety, counselling and rehabilitative strategies, making
strict laws and their enforcement, need based policies, international treaties and strict
sanctions and human rights respect.
We applaud the work UNODC has done to improve crime prevention and assist with criminal
justice reform in order to strengthen the rule of law, promote stable and viable criminal
justice systems and combat the growing threats of transnational organized crime and
corruption.
2
F. Notwithstanding these initiatives, Kenya feels that much more has to be done in
mitigating the effects of drug use on education and cultural heritage. As a matter of fact, we
put forward an assortment of concrete recommendations in addressing the issue. The
suggested measures are as follows: -
At the outset Kenya advocates for greater and concrete international cooperation and
exchange of information and strategies/practices concerning stopping drug abuse in schools,
improving the infrastructure and formation of organizations targeted at mitigation of drug
abuse. Also the various international organizations should meet annually and discuss the
strategies, work in the field and help each other with best practices in this area.
Secondly Kenya proposes the formation of programmes aimed at addressing the root cause of
drug abuse by people, including poverty, media influence, peer pressure, lack of opportunities
etc. These programmes could include making drug abuse awareness compulsory in schools,
involving parents and society in programmes at school. Investing in rehabilitation centres that
aim to bring people back in the mainstream, destigmatizing drug abuse, having more
employability opportunities for drug abusers.
Lastly Kenya recommends that the international community work together to develop and
promote strategies for countering the international drug cartels that make huge money and
even influence governments and organisations specifically in the under developed and
developing countries. Stringent laws for taking actions against drug brokers and suppliers and
specially related to minors should be made and enforced by the Governments.
As a final note, Kenya acknowledges the severity of rising drug abuse and its impacts on
education and cultural heritage and is committed to cooperating with nations around the
globe to solve these issues and ensure a drug free, secure ,healthy and prosperous future for
all.
REFERENCES
Section 3 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act
National AIDS and STI Control Program ‘Kenya AIDS Indicator Survey 2012: Preliminary Report’ available at https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/167580994-
Preliminary-Report-for-Kenya-AIDS-indicator-survey-2012-pdf_0.pdf (accessed on 10th May 2018)
Abraham, T. S., Pamela, O., and Kimani, C. G wa Teresia, J. N. (2021). “Effects of Drug Abuse in Schools and Homes in Kenya. East African Journal of Arts and Social Sciences, 3(1), 170-
180. https://doi.org/10.37284/eajass.3.1.428
Article 48 Constitution of Kenya
Article 29 (d) & (f) Constitution of Kenya
Section 3 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act
Section 4 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act
Section 5 of the Narcotic drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act
Kenya National Bureau of Statistics ‘Economic Survey 2018’ available at https://www.knbs.or.ke/download/economic-survey-2018/ (accessed on 8th May 2018)
National Council on the Administration of Justice ‘Criminal Justice System in Kenya: An Audit’ available at
http://kenyalaw.org/kenyalawblog/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Criminal_Justice_Report.pdf
National AIDS and STI Control Program ‘Kenya AIDS Indicator Survey 2012: Preliminary Report’ available at https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/167580994-
Preliminary-Report-for-Kenya-AIDS-indicator-survey-2012-pdf_0.pdf (accessed on 10th May 2018)
Available at http://www.undp.org/content/dam/kenya/docs/Democratic%20Governance/KENYA%20AIDS%20STRATEGIC%20FRAMEWORK.pdf (accessed on 9th May 2018)
Page 17 of the Kenya AIDS Strategic Framework 2014/2015-2018/2019
