‘Shisha addicts must face the law’ – CS Duale reacts to NACADA raid in Nairobi
Defence Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has lauded the ongoing crackdown on shisha dens in Nairobi, a day after 25 people were arrested by multiagency teams drawn from the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA).
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the former National Assembly Majority Leader said shisha addicts must face the full force of the law for acting in contravention of a ban imposed on water-pipe tobacco more than five years ago.
"Shisha addicts must face the law, as it is illegal in Kenya since 2017. Law enforcement agents must raid shisha dens (Sic)," Duale said on Saturday night.
NACADA raid
A team led by NACADA CEO Anthony Omerikwa on Friday night raided Yejoka Gardens Restaurant and Lounge where dozens of people were busted smoking Shisha.
During the operation, the officers arrested 25 people and seized 100 shisha bongs.
Addressing the media after the raid, the NACADA boss urged Kenyans to avoid banned substances and reiterated the agency's commitment to taming the issue of drug abuse.
"The law is very clear we know what is legal and what is not legal. In 2017, the government had a ban on Shisha, the sale, the use was banned, but here we have over 100 shisha bongs … in a residential area and it is causing pollution.
"This thing has permeated our society so much. It is affecting our children. It is affecting the masses in the country and productivity," the CEO stated.
The Kenyan government announced a ban on shisha in 2017 due to the health risks associated with the use of the substance.
The ban restricts use, import, manufacture, sale, advertising, distribution and encouraging or facilitating the use of the substance.
Contravening the law, the government said, would attract a “fine not exceeding Ksh50,000, or imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or both.”
However, the use of the substance is still ongoing in most parts of the country, especially in major towns.
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