The government has announced the deployment of 200 newly trained Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) officers to counties across the country in a fresh effort to strengthen the fight against drug trafficking, narcotics and substance abuse.
The officers will work alongside local administrators and security agencies to help disrupt illegal drug networks and improve enforcement.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen made the announcement on Tuesday during a meeting hosted by President William Ruto at State House, Nairobi, where village elders from across the country had gathered.
He said the officers had completed specialised training and were ready to begin operations in different regions.
According to Murkomen, the officers are drawn from the DCI’s National Anti-Narcotics Investigations Bureau (NANIB) and will work closely with chiefs, assistant chiefs, village elders and officers from the National Government Administration Police Unit (NGAPU).
He said the partnership is expected to improve intelligence gathering and strengthen efforts to stop the spread of illegal drugs in communities.
Murkomen noted that drug trafficking and substance abuse remain major challenges in many parts of the country. He said the deployment follows a presidential directive aimed at increasing the country’s capacity to deal with the growing threat posed by drug syndicates.
He explained that the specialised officers had undergone training focused on handling narcotics investigations and would now be stationed across the country to boost enforcement efforts.
The government hopes their presence will make it easier to identify drug traffickers, dismantle criminal networks and prevent the distribution of illegal substances.
The deployment also follows an earlier announcement by President Ruto to establish a stronger Anti-Narcotics Unit within the DCI.
The President had said the unit would be equipped with advanced surveillance technology, intelligence systems, forensic equipment and financial investigation tools to help track and dismantle organised drug trafficking networks while targeting those financing the illegal trade.
President Ruto also revealed that the specialised anti-narcotics team is expected to grow from the current 200 officers to 700 through new recruitment and redeployment.
The officers are expected to receive advanced paramilitary training to prepare them for operations in different parts of the country.
The latest move comes shortly after Inspector-General Douglas Kanja introduced changes to the National Police Service Standing Orders, officially placing the National Anti-Narcotics Investigations Bureau under the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.
During the same event, Murkomen also announced increased operational funding for chiefs and assistant chiefs to improve service delivery at the grassroots.
Chiefs will now receive Ksh50,000 in Authority to Incur Expenditure funds every quarter, up from Ksh30,000, while assistant chiefs will receive Ksh30,000 per quarter, double the previous allocation of Ksh15,000.
The government says the deployment of the specialised officers, together with increased support for local administrators, is part of a strategy to strengthen security coordination, improve community cooperation and intensify the fight against narcotics and substance abuse through a coordinated multi-agency approach.
