Written By Lisa Murimi
Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale has condemned security agencies at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), accusing them of incompetence in detecting drug traffickers.
Speaking during a Senate session on Thursday, March 21, Khalwale described the situation as a “shame,” stating that many traffickers pass through JKIA undetected and are only apprehended in other countries.
“It is a shame, Mr. Speaker, that cases arrested in Singapore, Dubai, and other international airports originate from JKIA,” he remarked.
Khalwale further criticized the airport’s security systems as “corrupt and rotten,” warning that Kenya’s global reputation was at stake.
The senator’s remarks come in response to the case of Margaret Nduta, a 37-year-old Kenyan woman arrested at a Vietnamese airport for trafficking over 2kg of drugs.
She was sentenced to death on March 7, sparking widespread debate in Kenya.
While Khalwale acknowledged the need for fairness in her case, he cautioned against “glorifying drug trafficking” under the guise of human rights advocacy.
Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’Oei has engaged Vietnamese authorities on the matter, though Nduta’s fate remains uncertain.
Vietnam enforces some of the world’s harshest drug laws, raising concerns about her possible execution.
