Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Nairobi (Fides Service)- “In recent years Kenya has become a centre not only for drug transit but also for increasing drug abuse” says Italian Consolata missionary Fr Eugenio Ferrari National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Kenya commenting a report issued by the INCB International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) which denounces a growing diffusion of drugs in Africa.
“Up to a few years ago drugs circulated only in the large foreign communities resident in tourist areas such as Malindi, mainly people with a high income who had no trouble obtaining drugs” said Fr Eugenio. “However in recent years Kenya has become an important transit centre used by major international crime organisations to transfer heroine and cocaine to Europe. Urged by the United Nations Organisation, the Kenyan government intensified its drug control efforts considerably. But this led to a paradoxical situation with consistent supplies of drugs in transit in Kenya ever more difficult to export to western countries and more and more drugs put on the local market by traffickers anxious not to lose money”.
“This is having tragic social consequences” says Fr Eugenio who is also one of the Catholic prison chaplains in Nairobi. “Nearly all the prisoners with whom I come into contact in my prison apostolate admit they take ‘something’ to stifle fear and silence conscience before committing a crime. Crime is rampant in Kenya, the Catholic Bishops have repeatedly denounced conditions of insecurity in many parts of the country and now drugs are making the problem even more serious”.
“And a major concern are the young people and children targeted by peddlers” the missionary said. “Drug abuse in schools is spreading especially in the large cities. To clamp down on this phenomenon local authorities have been ordered to close small shops near schools suspected of selling alcohol and drugs to pupils for a few shillings”.
“It must be said that the government is tackling the problem. It has intensified control at airports and on flight personnel (there have been cases of flight attendants involved in drug trafficking) and they are trying to deal with the problem in schools. We should keep in mind however that Kenya has 3,000 km of coastline which is difficult to control” says Fr. Eugenio. “With regard to the rehabilitation of drug addicts the first hurdle to overcome is a cultural one, because families tend to hide the problem”.
According to the latest INCB report presented yesterday 28 February, cannabis is the drug most consumed in Africa, with 34 million consumers. Besides increasing amounts of cocaine confiscated in west Africa (14 tons in 2004), the report speaks of increasing opium abuse in east and southern Africa and widespread heroine consumption particularly in Kenya, Mauritius and Tanzania. Moreover intravenous heroine abuse is helping to spread the HIV virus in Uganda, Rwanda and Somalia. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 1/3/2006 righe 42 parole 531)
