The Government is closing in on major suppliers of marijuana in a bid to dismantle the distribution networks.

Speaking during Jukwaa La Usalama tour of Vihiga, Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said drugs, especially marijuana, was a major problem in the county together with defilement and gangs.

He said Luanda is the hotbed of marijuana which is largely imported and distributed to other parts of the country.

However, Murkomen said the problem of marijuana would not be solved by arrests alone.

“We must rid Luanda of marijuana. And the biggest issue is to deal with the big suppliers. Already, a notorious lady, a major supplier, is in our radar and you will soon see arrests. But beyond arrests, we are embarking on an all-of-society conversation on sociocultural change which is critical especially for victims.”

He said the proliferation of gangs also needs a wider conversation to deal with it beyond arrest and prosecution.

“What must bother us all is the prevalence of gangs in the entire Western region. Even as we send more officers to support the regional security team in the crackdown, we must have a bigger conversation.”

He said any chief or police protecting defilement suspects will be sacked.

The CS said politicians engaging in hate speech will be dealt with firmly. “There are no sacred cows. We will step up our vigilance as we go towards the election.”