Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale has faulted the security agencies and systems erected at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), claiming that their inability to identify drug traffickers renders them incompetent.
Speaking during a Senate proceeding on Thursday, March 21, Khalwale said it is a "shame" that drug traffickers are able to bypass the airport's security systems undetected and end up being nabbed in other countries.
"It is a shame, Mr Speaker, that some of the cases that end up being arrested in countries like Singapore, Dubai, and other international airports can start their journey here at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA)," he said.
According to the senator, the security system at the airport, which he further described as "corrupt and rotten," has tarnished the country's image internationally.
"It means that our system at this airport is rotten and corrupt, and the officers responsible are incompetent. We can't have a country that is profiled internationally as a nation of drug traffickers," he said.
Commenting on the recent case of Margaret Nduta, a 37-year-old woman who was arrested at a Vietnamese airport with drugs earlier this month, Khalwale said this should serve as a lesson to future generations on the dangers of drug trafficking.
Khalwale, who termed Nduta's arrest as "unfortunate," said Kenyans should be "careful" as they defend her, stressing that the country could run the risk of "glorifying" drug trafficking in the name of fighting for her human rights.
"Let's be careful, Kenyans. Following what is going on on social media, as we fight for the human rights of this lady, we run the risk of glorifying drug trafficking," he said.
"Even as we call for fairness in the handling of Nduta’s case, we must teach our children that there is no profession to be admired in the dark world of drug trafficking," he added.
The arrest of Nduta has for the past few weeks sparked a public uproar with most Kenyans calling for her release.
On Friday, March 7, reports from Vietnam, a country known for enforcing some of the world’s strictest drug laws, said that Nduta was found guilty of trafficking over 2kg of drugs.
Nduta was apprehended at Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport, which serves Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s most populous city. Authorities discovered the drugs concealed in her suitcase during her immigration check.
During her court appearance, Nduta claimed she was unaware of the drugs when she received the suitcase.
Prosecutors countered this assertion, arguing that it was an attempt to evade accountability for her actions. They insisted that she must bear responsibility for the drug trafficking and sentenced her to death.
On Sunday, March 16, Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing'Oei revealed that he had contacted Vietnam’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nguyen Minh Hang, who assured him that the matter was under consideration.
Nduta was expected to face execution on Monday evening by lethal injection; however, it remains unclear whether she is dead or alive.
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