Kenya Destroys Sh8.2 Billion Meth Haul as Murkomen Vows to Pursue Drug Networks
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen witnessed the destruction of an Sh8.2 billion methamphetamine consignment in Mombasa, signaling Kenya's intensified war on drugs. Murkomen warned traffickers of aggressive pursuit of assets and networks, while urging community cooperation and announcing plans for drug rehabilitation facilities across the nation. The move underscores the government's comprehensive strategy to combat drug abuse and trafficking.
Kenyan authorities have destroyed 1,036 kilogrammes of methamphetamine valued at approximately Sh8.2 billion at the Bamburi Cement Company in Mombasa, nearly a year after the consignment was intercepted in the Indian Ocean. Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen witnessed the court-supervised destruction on September 24, 2026, following the completion of procedures to identify, test, and weigh the narcotics.
The shipment was seized in October 2025 during a multi-agency maritime operation and later became part of a drug-trafficking case involving six Iranian nationals before the Shanzu Law Courts.
Murkomen said the government would go beyond seizing narcotics to pursue the financiers, beneficiaries, assets and networks behind the drug trade, warning that property acquired through drug proceeds would be targeted for forfeiture. He also said premises used to store or manufacture illicit substances could be taken over, while government officials found collaborating with drug traffickers would face dismissal and prosecution.
The operation brought together multiple security, law-enforcement and justice agencies, reflecting the government's broader effort to disrupt trafficking networks operating through Kenya's coastline and maritime routes.
Murkomen described Kenya as both a drug market and transit country, arguing that enforcement must be accompanied by prevention, treatment and rehabilitation. He said one in six Kenyans aged 15 to 45 had used at least one type of drug, while Mombasa recorded a 34.4 percent prevalence rate, and announced plans to establish 164 rehabilitation facilities, with 11 counties already indicating their willingness to participate.
He also reported that 3,331 people had been arrested in connection with drugs and illicit alcohol over the past year and that 675,535 litres of illicit alcohol had been seized, while urging communities to report trafficking and help protect young people from substance abuse.