NAIROBI, Kenya – Kenya is under global scrutiny as a key player in Africa’s booming drug trade, with a new report revealing alarming trends in trafficking, corruption, and rising drug use across Eastern and Southern Africa.
The Eastern and Southern Africa Commission on Drugs (ESACD) has issued a hard-hitting report, warning that porous borders, corruption, and the surge in synthetic drugs are fueling a growing crisis. The findings were unveiled at a high-level summit in Nairobi, where officials admitted the region faces unprecedented threats from international drug cartels.
Africa: The New Global Drug Trafficking Hub
The report paints a grim picture of shifting drug routes, with Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, and Mozambique emerging as major gateways for narcotics.
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Heroin flows through maritime routes via Tanzania and Mozambique.
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Cocaine enters through South Africa and Kenya, which now serve as break-bulk centers for Latin American cartels.
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Methamphetamine from Afghanistan enters through Mozambique, while Mexico and Nigeria supply meth to South Africa for regional distribution.
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Madagascar is fast becoming a new hub for heroin and cocaine shipments.
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Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Eswatini, and Malawi are major cannabis suppliers, feeding both local and international markets.
“A new drug map is taking shape—and Eastern and Southern Africa are right at the center,” the report states.
Corruption Undermining the Fight Against Drugs
The ESACD report slams regional governments for failing to tackle deep-rooted corruption that enables drug trafficking.
“No government in the region has demonstrated willingness to end the structural components of endemic corruption,” the report says. “Instead, anti-corruption rhetoric is weaponized for settling political scores or silencing dissent.”
Drug Use Surging, Treatment Lacking
The report reveals shocking statistics on drug use in the region as of 2022:
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3.6 million people used opiates (mainly heroin).
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2 million used cocaine.
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2.7 million used methamphetamine.
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300,000 people were injecting drugs.
By 2050, an additional 14 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa are expected to start using drugs. Yet, only 10% of users are considered dependent, and a mere 18% of those needing treatment can access it.
“This is not just a crime issue. It’s a public health crisis,” said Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen during the report’s launch. “We must stop treating drug use as a crime and address it as a medical and social issue.”
Calls for a New Approach
CS Murkomen urged a shift in drug policy:
“We must move beyond criminalization and punishment, and adopt a health-centered, human rights-based approach that addresses the root causes of drug use.”
ESACD Chair and former South African President Kgalema Motlanthe warned:
“The continent is on the verge of a deeper drug epidemic if we don’t act with coordination and courage.”
A Stark Warning for the Future
The report ends with a dire prediction:
“From cannabis farms in Kenya and Uganda to heroin routes via Madagascar, the region is fast becoming a global trafficking corridor. Unless bold, united action is taken, Eastern and Southern Africa could become the epicenter of the world’s next drug catastrophe.”
As Kenya and its neighbors grapple with this escalating crisis, the world is watching—will the region act before it’s too late?
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