The Assembly to FastTrack passage of two crucial bills- Wajir Speaker says
By Asal Media Reporter
The County assembly of Wajir will immediately embark of prioritizing the passage of The Wajir County Enforcement bill and the Wajir County drugs and Alcoholic drinks control bill.
Assembly speaker Abdille Yussuf regretted that the two crucial bills have not been passed something he said had in a big way affected the fight against drugs and substance abuse.
He spoke on Friday in his office when he received a delegation of religious leaders from the county led by the Chairman of SUPKEM Dr. Adan Yunis accompanied by the CEO Wajir Municipality Abdinoor Ole Hussein and representatives from the Civil Society.
During the meting the leaders raised pertinent issues in the county that require urgent legislation. I want to give an assurance on behalf of the Honorable members that we will expedite legislation to tackle these vices.
“we are all aware right now we don’t have any law regarding the same since devolution come into place and that is where the disconnect is,” he said.
He added: “We are ready to work with the local leadership and government agencies to ensure that Wajir achieves its desire to be a drug-free community and this starts with having properl legislations are put in place,”.
Yunis on his part regretted that drugs use in the area was on rise saying that it was a big contributor to some of the ills bedeviling society.
“The rate at which our youth are consuming drugs is alarming. The situation cannot continue like this. While we continue to call for the arrest and prosecution of those involved in the illegal business, We need laws that will support the same,” Dr. Yunis said.
The CEO Wajir Municipality on his part said that for a long time the powers of the Municipal Enforcement Officials has been limited because of lack of legislation.
“Drug and alcohol misuse has increased over the past few years, causing many of our youth to experience major mental health issues and encouraging others to engage in criminal activity, which has further increased crime in some areas of the county,” he said.
He added: “When the suspects are taken to court they can easily argue who gave these people powers to confiscate my things. So that is why we need to be empowered using these legislation,” he said.
Also present at the meeting were Deputy Speaker Abdisalan Mohamed, Minority leader Abdirizack Dakat, Amina Ibrahim, Chair of the Committee on Culture and Social Services and the Clerk of the Assembly Shalle Mursal.
Bhang, codeine and miraa which are sneaked in the country from Ethiopia through the Moyale route are among the most abused drugs making the county among those which Nacada says substance misuse remains entrenched.
Recently the Municipality Manager and his municipal enforcement officials conducted a raid on a Changaa den along a dead street in Wajir town successful netting over 25 litres of the illegal liquor
