Prof. George Wajackoyah, the presidential candidate for the Roots Party, has come under fire from Dr. Fred Matiang’i, the interior cabinet secretary, for his quest to legalize commercial marijuana.
Matiang’i accused Wajackoyah of deceiving the youth with his bhang mentality in a statement delivered on his behalf by Interior Chief Administrative Secretary Winnie Guchu on the occasion of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
Matiang’i claims that Wajackoyah omitted out information about the controls put in place while mentioning instances of nations that had legalized the use of the narcotic.
“Regrettably, we have also observed leaders mobilising the youth through misinformation and false promises such as legalization of cannabis for commercial and recreational purposes if they are elected to office.”
The CS stated, “They have even identified nations where cannabis has been legalized for recreational use without providing factual information on the measures that have been implemented where such legalization has been permitted.”
After the discussion of marijuana’s legalization, the CS expressed increased worries about the rise in juvenile marijuana usage and misuse.
He stated that, while the constitution is being reviewed, the government will continue to enforce the current regulations to make sure they are followed to the letter and that the substance is still prohibited in Kenya.
Cannabis is still a restricted substance under government law with extremely specific punishments. No one should be encouraged to break the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Control Act or any other drug control law. These laws are still in effect, and they will be followed, he continued.
Despite this, Wajackoyah continued to advocate for the legalization of marijuana in his political rallies in Western Kenya.
