A mentally challenged man in Uriri Market, Migori County has been giving the police strong hints on where bhang peddlers have been selling the stuff like normal food but with no action taken on the illegal business.
The strong and burly chap has however become a fun caricature to the law enforcers and members of the public in equal measures as he goes about his usual begging style for only Sh20 to buy bhang from well-known joints within and around the market.
With a hoarse voice, John, (not his real name) has the tendency of moving from shop to shop asking for only Sh20 and in the process announcing what he intends to acquire with the money and from where the stuff is to be purchased.
“Please assist me with sh20 I go buy drug (bhang),” has been john’s day-long begging style within the market, a prayer that has been heeded by some irresponsible people while many others have ignored him while acknowledging his frolics as a big fun to them.
Yet once he secures the Sh20 in his palm, he treks fast to one known home where the stuff is dispensed without much ado by a peddler apparently well-known to even the local security bosses around.
But John’s fun notwithstanding, the worry is the blind eye the police and national government administration officers have trained on this peddler and many others roaming and destroying the lives of young men and girls in the area especially now that the schools are closed due to the coronavirus.
Many residents think there were undercurrent businesses going on between the law enforcers and the peddlers who apparently get protected from arrests to continue with their ill activities.
“I am very much disturbed by the open sale of Bhang to young people here. Some of the teenagers are turning into zombies yet the man killing them is known to the law enforcers here,” rued Mrs Lilian Achieng’, an estate dweller within the market.
She said it was sad that one well-known bhang seller is a neighbour to Uriri High School and has been a great friend of students of the school.
“There is no doubt that the past recent strikes at the school have been partly fueled by bhang sold to students by the peddler,” noted Achieng’ when she spoke to KNA.”
But Mr. Musa Owili, another resident now wants the police to do their assignment properly and use the source to trace his bhang shopping points to make arrests.
“It is very easy to crack-down on all the peddlers of this weed here. Just give John sh20 bob and follow him secretly to where he gets the stuff. Unless there are some common businesses binding the law enforcers with the peddlers, then we can forget such arrests and elimination of the drug within the area,” said Owili.
He claims there were over ten bhang selling points within and around Uriri market that were operating with the express knowledge of security officers around.
This also includes chang’aa selling dens some of which were operating just behind the Deputy County Commissioner’s office and next to the AP camp, he reported.
But area OCS Peter Nyakundi challenged anybody with information about specific people selling the bhang to report to the police for action to be taken.
KNA by Erick Owuor/George Agimba