
Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale has criticized the security agencies and the systems established at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), asserting that their failure to identify drug traffickers demonstrates their incompetence.
While addressing a Senate proceeding on Thursday, March 21, Khalwale remarked that it is a “shame” that drug traffickers can circumvent the airport’s security systems without detection, subsequently being apprehended in other nations.
It is a shame, Mr. Speaker, that some of the cases that get detained in airports in other countries like Singapore, Dubai, and other international airports can actually be from here at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA),” he stated.
The senator lamented that the security machinery at the airport, which he equally termed as “corrupt and rotten,” has tarnished the image of the country internationally.
He went on to say that this suggests that the cops involved are unskilled and that our system in this airport is flawed and corrupt by nature. We cannot live in a country that is known across the world as a safe haven for drug traffickers.
In reference to the recent incident involving Margaret Nduta, a 37-year-old woman apprehended at a Vietnamese airport with illegal substances earlier this month, Khalwale remarked that this should act as a cautionary tale for the generations to come regarding the perils of drug trafficking.
Khalwale, who described Nduta’s apprehension as “regrettable,” emphasized that Kenyans ought to exercise “caution” while advocating for her, noting that the country might encounter the danger of “glorifying” drug trafficking. while claiming to be protecting her human rights.
“Kenyans, let us exercise caution. If you look at the current social media debate, we may be encouraging the drug trade in our fight for this woman’s human rights,” he said.
We must teach our children that there is no honorable career in the illegal drug trade as we demand justice in the way Nduta’s case is being handled,” he added.
There has been a lot of public outcry recently over Nduta’s arrest, and most Kenyans are demanding her release. Most Kenyans would like to see Nduta released, and her arrest recently generated a great deal of popular outrage.
On Friday, March 7, reports from Vietnam, a nation recognized for implementing some of the most stringent drug regulations globally, indicated that Nduta had been found guilty of trafficking over 2kg of drugs.
Nduta was apprehended at Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport, which accommodates Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s most populous urban area. Authorities uncovered the drugs hidden within her suitcase during her immigration screening.
This assertion was contested by the prosecution, who said it was an attempt to shift responsibility for her actions. She was given a death sentence after they argued that she was behind the narcotics trafficking.
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