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Human rights activist Dr. Isaac Newton Kinity has sharply criticised President William Ruto’s proposal to reintroduce the death penalty for drug traffickers, questioning whether the move reflects genuine concern for Kenya’s youth or a calculated political signal aimed beyond the country’s borders.
Dr. Kinity, a counsellor, Chairman of the Kikimo Foundation for Corruption and Poverty Eradication and former Secretary General of the Kenya Civil Servants Union, argues that the announcement raises fundamental questions about timing, intent and historical accountability.
“Kenya has lived with drug trafficking for decades. This is not a new discovery. The question is not whether drugs are destroying lives, but why this sudden urgency now.”
Timing That Cannot Be Ignored
Kenya’s status as a transit corridor for international narcotics has long been documented. Drugs have entered through the coastline, airports and porous borders, leaving devastated families and communities in their wake. Yet prosecutions of high-level traffickers have remained rare.
“If the death penalty was the solution, why was it not proposed five, ten or twenty years ago? Why now, at a moment when global attention is fixed on how powerful nations deal with leaders accused of drug crimes?”
To Kinity, the proximity between Ruto’s announcement and dramatic international developments involving the United States is not coincidental, but politically telling.
A Message Beyond Kenya
Kinity views the proposal less as a domestic solution and more as external signalling — an attempt to appear tough on drugs without confronting the entrenched networks that enable trafficking within Kenya.
“Kenya already has harsh laws. What we lack is enforcement without fear or favour. Hanging traffickers without dismantling protection networks is political theatre, not leadership.”
He insists that Kenya’s allies, particularly the United States, are not naïve about the country’s challenges.
“The United States is not new to Kenya. It knows our institutions, our weaknesses and our history. Symbolic gestures will not fool anyone.”
Selective Justice and Dangerous Power
Kinity warns that in a system plagued by corruption and selective prosecution, the death penalty risks becoming a weapon against the powerless rather than a tool against kingpins.
“The gallows will not touch the real barons. It will touch couriers, addicts and small operators, while the powerful remain protected.”
He questions whether the proposal answers the most critical questions facing the country.
“Who are the real traffickers? Who protects them? Who funds them? Who interferes with investigations? Until those questions are answered, harsher punishment changes nothing.”
Human Rights at Risk
Beyond effectiveness, Kinity raises alarm over the irreversible nature of capital punishment in a justice system that has repeatedly been accused of abuse, coercion and inequality.
“Giving the state power to kill in a system that struggles with fairness is not justice. It is fear dressed up as law.”
He cautions that the move could further damage Kenya’s human rights record and international standing.
What Kenya Actually Needs
For Kinity, the solution lies not in spectacle, but in courage.
“Kenya does not need dramatic announcements. It needs political will to arrest and prosecute the untouchables.”
Without accountability at the top, he argues, the fight against drugs will remain performative.
“This is not about saving Kenyan youth. It is about optics, timing and sending messages. Until the powerful are held accountable, Kenya’s drug war will remain loud, frightening and hollow.”
With a knack for captivating storytelling, Amos Lumbasi has a talent for crafting narratives that resonate with readers. He combines meticulous research with a captivating writing style to create articles that are both informative and enjoyable to read.