President Ruto Announces Elite Anti-Narcotics Police Unit in Major Crackdown on Drug Trade
President William Ruto has unveiled plans to establish a powerful new police unit within the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) as the government intensifies its campaign against illicit drugs, organised crime, and the financial networks that sustain the trade.
Speaking during his New Year’s address at Eldoret State Lodge on Wednesday, December 31, the President said the government would create a strengthened Anti-Narcotics Unit (ANU) with operational capacity comparable to the elite Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU).
The Head of State said the move forms part of a wider national strategy aimed at dismantling drug trafficking syndicates, cutting off their financial lifelines, and protecting young people from substance abuse.
“We will establish a strengthened Anti-Narcotics Unit within the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, with operational capacity comparable to the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit,” President Ruto announced.
According to the President, officers assigned to the new unit will undergo advanced paramilitary-style training to equip them with specialised skills and tactics necessary to confront organised and high-risk criminal groups involved in narcotics and illicit alcohol distribution.
Mr Ruto stressed that the unit would not replace the mandate of the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA), but would instead complement its work as a fully resourced and permanent law enforcement formation.
He said the Anti-Narcotics Unit would be equipped with modern surveillance, intelligence-gathering, forensic analysis and financial investigation tools, enabling it to operate as a multi-agency task force working closely with NACADA and other institutions.
The President added that the unit would collaborate with the National Intelligence Service (NIS), border management agencies, county governments and international partners to ensure effective nationwide operations.
To bolster its capacity, Mr Ruto announced a significant expansion of the unit’s personnel, increasing its strength from 200 officers to 700 through fresh recruitment and redeployment. Officers will undergo new training programmes to support nationwide deployment.
In a direct warning to drug barons and their financiers, the President said the unit would be empowered to trace, seize and forfeit assets linked to narcotics and illicit alcohol investigations.
“The focus will be on high-level traffickers, financiers and organised criminal networks,” he said, adding that financial crime investigations would be central to the new strategy.
Mr Ruto also called on Chief Justice Martha Koome to accept the Executive’s support in resourcing and establishing specialised courts to fast-track the prosecution of drug-related cases.
He noted that the Assets Recovery Agency (ARA) would be involved from the point of seizure to ensure proceeds of crime are frozen, prosecuted and forfeited to the State, before being redirected to rehabilitation, prevention and treatment programmes, while fully respecting judicial independence.
In addition, the President said border security would be strengthened through increased capacity for the Border Patrol Unit (BPU) and the National Police Service (NPS), including the deployment of modern surveillance technology to monitor movement across Kenya’s borders.
Mr Ruto issued a stern warning to public officials, including members of the security agencies, who may be complicit in the drug trade.
“Any public officer found aiding, shielding or working with drug traffickers and illicit alcohol syndicates will be prosecuted and removed from office immediately,” he said.
Describing the fight against drugs as a personal mission, the President said the challenge went beyond law enforcement and required collective responsibility.
“This is not just a policing issue. It is about parenting, community values and early intervention in the lives of our children,” Mr Ruto said, calling on families and communities to play a central role in safeguarding the next generation.
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President Ruto Announces Elite Anti-Narcotics Police Unit in Major Crackdown on Drug Trade