FAHAMU NETWORK

Trans Nzoia County has been flagged as a hotspot for increasing cases of hooliganism, alcohol, and drug abuse in the country, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has revealed. Speaking during a Jukwaa la Usalama forum in the county, Murkomen painted a worrying picture of a region grappling with rising insecurity and criminal behaviour fueled by compromised law enforcement officers and politically linked gangs. "Trans Nzoia’s proximity to Uganda has made it a conduit for smuggling of alcohol and hard drugs. The influx of adulterated liquor and narcotics from across the border is alarming," said Murkomen. The Interior CS accused a section of police officers and National Government Administrative Officers (NGAO) of turning a blind eye to illicit activities in exchange for bribes, contributing significantly to the growing menace. Murkomen further linked the drug and alcohol problem to the emergence of organized criminal gangs, some of which he claimed are fi...

Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya has criticized the government's decision to end the vetting process for national identity card applicants from the North Eastern region, stating that the move would have serious security implications. President William Ruto, who signed a Presidential Proclamation to abolish the vetting process, stated that the move would ease access to national identification documents and put an end to unjust and disenfranchising practices in border counties. However, Governor Natembeya noted that the region's proximity to neighboring Somalia, home to terror groups like Al-Shabaab, could allow them to obtain Kenyan citizenship and potentially use it for terrorism. “The President is supposed to guard Kenya’s borders jealously instead of creating a conducive environment that enables terrorists to take advantage of the opening to acquire citizenship and carry out their agenda,” he said while addressing mourners at the funeral of Mama Teresia Nangami at ...