President Ruto Pushes for Death Penalty for Drug Kingpins in Tough New Anti-Narcotics Drive
President William Ruto has sparked nationwide debate after announcing plans to introduce the death penalty for major drug and illicit alcohol offenders, marking a dramatic escalation in Kenya’s war on narcotics.
Speaking during a public engagement in Uasin Gishu County on Saturday, January 3, the Head of State revealed that the government is drafting new legislation that would classify serious drug-related offences as capital crimes punishable by hanging.
The proposed law is aimed squarely at drug kingpins and illicit alcohol traders, whom President Ruto accused of destroying families and destabilising communities across the country.
“For all these people who are involved in the illicit alcohol trade, we are going to change the law,” Ruto said.
“In the past, we had a law with a clause that if you were caught selling substances, including hard drugs such as heroin, the only penalty was a fine of Ksh1 million. Now we are changing that so that you can be hanged.”
‘I Am Ready to Face the Consequences’
Defending his hardline stance, the President insisted that existing penalties have failed to deter traffickers, allowing the drug trade to flourish while millions of Kenyans suffer the consequences.
Ruto said he was fully aware that the proposal would attract criticism, but stressed that decisive action was long overdue.
“You know that if I have said it, I have said it, and I am ready to deal with the consequences,” he added.
“We need to have order. So many families are suffering because of cocaine.”
According to the President, the new legislation will abolish the option of fines for serious drug offences, replacing them with mandatory capital punishment for convicted offenders.
Assets to Be Seized Under New Law
In addition to harsher sentences, the draft law — expected to be tabled in Parliament — will also grant the State sweeping powers to confiscate assets linked to the drug trade.
These include vehicles, land, and other property acquired using proceeds from the sale of illicit alcohol and narcotics.
President Ruto urged Members of Parliament to rally behind the proposal, warning that the scale of drug abuse in Kenya has reached crisis levels.
He cited estimates suggesting that more than five million Kenyans are affected by substance abuse, describing the situation as economically and socially unsustainable.
New Elite Anti-Narcotics Police Unit Planned
The announcement comes just days after the President unveiled plans to establish a specialised Anti-Narcotics Unit within the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
During his New Year’s address at Eldoret State Lodge on Wednesday, December 31, Ruto said the new unit would mirror the operational strength of the elite Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU).
Officers assigned to the unit will undergo advanced paramilitary training, equipping them with specialised skills to dismantle organised criminal networks involved in drug trafficking.
The President emphasised that the unit will not replace the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) but will work alongside it as a fully resourced and permanent formation.
He added that the team will be equipped with modern surveillance, intelligence, forensic, and financial investigation tools, enabling it to track both drug dealers and the financial systems that sustain the trade.
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President Ruto Pushes for Death Penalty for Drug Kingpins in Tough New Anti-Narcotics Drive