The Inspector General (IG) for police Japhet Koome has issued a four-day ultimatum for the arrest of a drug baron in Mombasa.
Speaking in Mombasa during the launch of the Coast Region Conference on Illicit Alcohol and Narcotic Drugs Abuse, Koome ordered that there must be an arrest of a drug baron in four days.
“I am here on official duties for about four days, we must get a baron within those four days. You have no option”, the IG cautioned the local authorities.
He further faulted the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) for defending the lack of action in the county against drug abuse citing that there was a difficult terrain for officers to conduct their duties.
According to the IG, NACADA’s explanation was an invalid excuse for officers’ failing to conduct their responsibilities and curb the drug abuse in Mombasa County.
The IG stated that the National Police Service had deployed and signed a performance-based contract with a new regional commander within the Mombasa region, who was formerly stationed in the North Eastern Region, combating terrorism.
Based on the IG’s arguments, the new commander is expected to conduct his job without falling back on the aforementioned terrain-related complaints, considering that the North Eastern region has a more ragged terrain.
Additionally, the IG criticised the current County Commissioner who is based in the coastal region for failing to arrest a drug baron in the region in a long time.
Koome, poked holes into the local administration’s narrative about them receiving calls whenever they made certain arrests, noting that he had never received calls from higher administration such as the President and Deputy President.
Further in his address, Koome added that for the government to succeed in the fight against alcoholism there must be ruthlessness associated with it.
The Deputy President, Rigathi Gachagua who was also present at the launch, stated that he was fearless in dealing with drug and illicit alcohol abuse in the country.
He also criticised leaders who had missed the meeting stating that they were expected to be champions of the fight but they failed to turn up to generate solutions to the menace.
