In October 2024, following a tip-off from the public, Kenya’s Anti-Narcotics Unit arrested three Kenyans, two Nigerians and a Mexican known to be a member of the Mexican Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
The six were charged at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) law courts with various offences in contravention of the Kenya Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act No. 4 of 1994. The JKIA courts were established in 2016 specifically to expedite cases involving illicit economies such as drug trafficking, human trafficking and the illegal wildlife trade.
The suspects were operating a clandestine laboratory in Namanga, a town in Kajiado County on the Kenya-Tanzania border. Various drug precursors – chemicals that can be used to manufacture illicit drugs – were found in their possession. These included methylamine, ethanol, phenylacetone, tartaric acid, sodium hydroxide, acetone, and toluene, which are commonly used in the production of the highly addictive methamphetamine.
Some of the seized chemicals originated in India. According to the seized passport of one suspect, frequent trips were made between India and Kenya.
This case corroborates concerns raised by Beverly Opwora, Kenya’s National Administration Secretary for Internal Security. Opwora linked the increasing demand for psychotropic and narcotic drugs in Africa to a rise in the illegal import and manufacture of precursors to produce illicit drugs on the continent. This assessment is supported by a recent finding that Africa is a major contributor to the global supply of synthetic drugs.
Kenya’s National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) links the rapid, and sometimes unregulated, expansion of global pharmaceutical and chemical sectors to a surge in the availability of precursor chemicals over the past two years. Many of these precursor chemicals are diverted into illicit drug manufacturing.
In February 2025, during the launch of a report on the Status of Drugs and Substance Use Among University Students in Kenya, NACADA CEO Anthony Omerikwa said the legality and ease of access to precursor chemicals make them difficult to detect and control.
A reported increase in the local manufacturing of synthetic drugs has led to a surge in the use of these illicit substances among young people in Kenya. NACADA has highlighted that this illicit economy has a range of negative consequences including increased crime rates, burdened healthcare systems, and strained societal cohesion.
According to the 2024 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report, transnational organised crime groups from China, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nigeria and Iran, among others, are involved in transporting, manufacturing and selling precursor chemicals to African markets.
Jason Eligh, an expert on illicit drug markets at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, told Africa Defense Forum magazine that the Namanga lab, while remote, was strategically placed along a traditional drug trafficking route. This route had easy access to Mombasa and Dar es Salaam seaports and inland access to Uganda. He said a Mexican in the meth lab was training the Kenyans and Nigerians on the ‘techniques of producing the drug.’
As a state party to the United Nations (UN) Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (1988) and a member of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), Kenya is obligated to submit annual reports on substances frequently used in the illicit manufacturing of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.
Kenya is currently non-compliant with the convention – and while compliance does not guarantee a solution, it’s essential for tracking progress in Kenya’s response.
Kenya is not alone, with Tanzania being the only East African country to submit the required INCB report for 2023. Tanzania reported – for the first time – on seizures of pharmaceutical preparations containing pseudoephedrine, a precursor chemical often used in the illicit production of methamphetamine. This points to the regional scope of the availability and use of precursor chemicals in drug manufacture.
The gap in reporting to the INCB may also indicate the challenges faced by East African states in monitoring and responding to the growing threat of precursor chemical diversion and misuse. It also highlights a complex context in which regional authorities face difficulties in identifying emerging drug production trends, tracking illegal importation routes and implementing timely interventions.
Constraints such as limited resources, varying technical/technological capacity levels, and differing national priorities further complicate efforts to enforce laws against precursor chemical misuse and diversion.
Kenya’s regulatory oversight would be strengthened by mandating thorough pre-licensing audits of chemical laboratories and digital tracking of pharmaceutical chemicals using barcodes. For this to be realised, Kenya would need to increase the political will and commitment needed to prioritise regulatory reforms and effective enforcement.
Integrating new technology in law enforcement – such as advanced forensic tools and early warning systems to detect illicit drug activities and map production and trafficking routes – will provide Kenya with the data necessary to develop a robust approach to combat this emerging threat. This can be achieved through partnerships with relevant organisations such as the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, which has helped countries including Mexico with drug identification technology.
Strengthening partnerships with international organisations such as INTERPOL and other relevant stakeholders can help regional states strengthen their capabilities to enable the proper and timely compilation of INCB reports.
Such reporting provides valuable information to international agencies like the INCB, which would then have the evidence needed to track patterns, develop or change strategies, and support states in addressing illegal drug production and trafficking.
Without such data, global efforts to track and control the export of precursor chemicals are significantly weakened. Submitting reports also signals that states are publicly committing to addressing the matter openly and being accountable.
Lastly, the Eastern Africa Police Chiefs Cooperation Organization (EAPCCO) could enhance joint regional inspections at major ports, monitor and document emerging trends in precursor chemical trade, and prepare annual reports to the INCB.
This aligns with commitments to enhancing EAPCCO’s capacity made during their 26th Annual General Meeting held in Rwanda in January 2025 and represents a core mandate of the organisation.
Valtino Omolo, Research Officer, ENACT, East Africa
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