Leading the war against drugs are Lamu Law courts. In an effort to deter drug trade in Kenya, the Lamu law courts destroyed bhang and illegal substances with a street worth of Sh900, 000. The bhang haul was a portion of a shipment that had been seized in the county over the previous year, and the court had already made decisions in those instances.
Lamu Principal Magistrate Temba Sitati oversaw the activity with assistance from the Lamu Law Court Users Committee. Temba claimed that the intention of burning the bhang was to discourage the county’s illegal drug trade.
The bhang’s destruction, which took place in the Kashmir region of Amu Island, was witnessed by members of the public, activists from civil society, and religious leaders. This action will send a clear message in the fight against narcotics, which is being led by the county security team.
The Principal Magistrate urged the public to actively cooperate with security agents in order to help stamp out the influx of bhang and other illicit drugs in Lamu.
Mohamed Abdulkadir, Chairman of the Coast Interfaith Council of Clerics and Treasurer of the Lamu Law Courts Users Committee, welcomed the move to burn bhang and stated that it would aid in preventing the loss of exhibits after cases are concluded that end up in the public domain.
He went on to say that the public display of burning the exhibits was a good demonstration of the court’s transparency and integrity in handling drug cases, and that it would help citizens feel confident in court rulings.
Lamu Law Courts has been at the forefront of the fight against drugs by destroying exhibits from completed cases as a deterrent and to send a message to the public that the Judiciary will not tolerate the legalization of drugs on Kenyan soil at any cost.
The law courts destroyed bhang exhibits valued at Ksh 700,000 on December 17, 2019. The same court destroyed another haul of Narcotics exhibits valued at Ksh 700,000 on January 29, 2020.
Furthermore, Mr. Temba, the presiding Magistrate, stated that drug substances submitted as exhibits will be destroyed every four months following the conclusion of the cases.
