Skip to main content

Record Heroin Seizure Raises Serious Security Questions

Yesterday, the Australian authorities announcedthat they had seized heroine worth USD314 million just twenty-one nautical miles off the Kenyan Coast. It means that the biggest record seizure of hard drugs in Africa was well within Kenyan territory. An Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is an internationally recognized offshore zone that extends up to two hundred (200) miles from the baseline within which states enjoys coastal rights in relation to natural resources and related jurisdictional rights. The announcement for the seizure was made without any reference to Kenya. It means a foreign military that was policing Kenyan territory made a surprise arrest that has far reaching impact on global drugs trade. This development also makes a damning indictment on Kenya’s coast guard capabilities. Not only the Kenyan Navy with its radars and newly acquired warships expected to keep watch, the marine administration police with it’s newly acquired speedboats and helicopters are expected to ensure no such activity happens within our waters. Was the Australian Navy violating our territory? From 20 nautical miles, the contraband and arrested individuals were taken thousands of miles to Australia without our knowledge. How many more vessels have gone through undetected? Are Kenyans aware of the fact that their country is a major transit point and also a consumer of hard drugs? Who are their local agents? For a country that just suffered the Westgate tragedy, a country presently besieged by terrorists setting off IEDs indiscriminately, weekly bank robberies, daily carjackings, large scale wildlife poaching, and now the biggest at sea heroin seizure in the world, it certainly does bring a lot of worry. Is Kenya’s security apparatus asleep? Are Kenyans safe?
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Take care of yourself__"The first wealth is health".

By Strive Masiyiwa  A few weeks ago I went to the doctor. I will tell you what he said about my health at the end, but first read this: Twenty years ago, I arranged to meet a well-known British international businessman who invested a lot in Africa at the time. We agreed to meet for dinner at a leading hotel in London.  After a good meeting, we started to walk out of the restaurant when he suddenly collapsed in the lobby. There was total pandemonium as they rushed to get medical assistance. Being London, an ambulance arrived in minutes. I jumped in the back with him as paramedics wrestled to keep him alive. He had had a heart attack and had to have triple bypass heart surgery. Sadly he died a few weeks later. He hadn't been sick and his sudden death surprised everyone. And yet as I reflected on it, and later discussed it with a doctor friend who knew him, I realized he was very laid back about his health despite having a hectic business life. Even during our dinner...
Post a Comment
Read more

Freedom: The One Thing Gaddafi Could Not Give — And the One Thing No Government Can Take Away

For years, the collapse of Libya under Muammar Gaddafi puzzled many observers across Africa and the world. How could a country with high living standards, generous state programs, and a strong economy turn so swiftly against a leader who appeared to have delivered materially for his people? This question is not just about Libya. It speaks to a deeper truth about governance, legitimacy, and the limits of developmental authoritarianism. It speaks to Africa’s political future. And it speaks directly to the crossroads at which Kenya now finds itself. --- The Libyan Paradox: Prosperity Without Liberty Before the 2011 uprising, Libya’s economic and social indicators were strikingly strong for the region. Gaddafi’s Libya boasted: Free education Free healthcare Subsidized housing Cheap fuel High employment An extensive welfare system These were not myths. The United Nations Human Development Index (HDI) of 2010 ranked Libya 53rd in the world and first in Africa. Even today, that ranking stands...
Post a Comment
Read more