Uganda Authorities busy feathering their nests while Marijuana ravages the country

By Valerian Kkonde

PEARL NEWS SERVICE

The devastation of the youth caused by Marijuana and other drugs of abuse was ably on display at the

Pan African Square

on Queen’s Way in the capital Kampala. The Ministry of Health brought together school children, the Police, Rehabilitation centers and members of the public to mark July 21, the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

The ten speakers, individually, stressed that the youth are the target of the traffickers and many have already fallen victim.

“Marijuana is a very dangerous drug and it is posing a lot of threat to Uganda and the East African region as a whole. But in Uganda the situation is alarming,” Inspector of Police (IP) Ojaba Robert told the gathering.

Ojaba, the Deputy Director of the Anti Narcotics Unit of the Police, went on to reveal that traffickers are devising all sorts of tricks to lure the youth into the drug snare. Traffickers, he warned, deceive their targets with promises of employment, going abroad, riches and trendy items like cars, televisions, laptops and even houses.

“We are targeting the traffickers because they are the ones luring the youth into drugs.”

To bring out clearly the dangers of drugs and the importance of staying positive, the IP narrated how a young man, just graduated, took to drugs and completely lost direction. He said that the young man spent all the money on drugs and became a real nuisance. The young man was taken to a rehabilitation center and later managed to get off the hook. Today he holds a managerial post.

Ojaba encouraged the students to speak out once they fall victims, and to help their friends who have been driven into the drugs racket. He assured them that when people with drugs problems come out on their own, they cannot be taken to prison but to the rehabilitation center.

“If you have a drug problem, come to me and I will welcome you. I will give you the treatment that you too will feel appropriate. I will also refund your transport.”

While IP Ojaba said that the problem of trafficking can be eliminated, the lack of relevant and appropriate laws is a big hindrance.

“The current law in place is so useless that when traffickers are arrested from other countries in the region, they want to be prosecuted from here-Uganda. Our hope is in the Bill in parliament. The law will deal with all aspects to do with drugs and will also target the traffickers outside the country.”

Some of the key areas of the Bill involve forfeiture of all proceeds from drug trafficking, including property and equipment used in the trafficking. It further calls for at least five years of imprisonment. Paraphernalia used to promote and identify with drugs of abuse will also be covered.

 Ugandan musicians are also taking advantage of the hopeless law in place to front for drug abuse and trafficking. One cannot rule out the unbecoming conduct associated with them to be the influence of drugs. It is also worth prodding whether it is their songs bringing them the fortune or the hard drugs.

Musicians have composed songs in praise of dug abuse, wear drug-paraphernalia and even smoke marijuana on top of encouraging people to do the same.

“Parliament must go and conclude this law to combat the supply of drugs and compel government to put money in the war against drug abuse and trafficking,” prayed Dr. Sheila Ndyanabangi.

Dr. Ndyanabangi is the Principal Medical Officer- Mental Health and Control of Substance Abuse- Ministry of Health. She is also the National Focal person for Tobacco control.

“The current law is very old and weak and does not include even mayirungi – khat.”

Among the challenges cited, Ndyanabangi pointed out the few personnel in the area of anti drug abuse unlike in malaria and HIV/AIDS.

“Even health workers are not sure because this is a kind of specialized treatment. But we have now embarked on a programme to train them.”

Ndyanabangi also pointed out that 20% of the patients at Butabika Mental health hospital have drug abuse problems.

Sister Justin Nantongo of the Sisters of Immaculate Heart of Mary- Gogonya- said that Serenity rehabilitation Center is at the moment looking after 24 people between 16 and 24 years of age.

“Majority of these are undergoing rehabilitation for marijuana and alcohol. They are brought in by their relatives usually unconscious.

The treatment comprises of lessons concerning effects of these drugs, life skills and open therapy.”

Sr. Nantongo told PNS that each patient pays 50,000 shillings everyday, and that the treatment can go on for up to 90 days for one to be weaned. But that it all depends on how one responds to the treatment. She further said that when they are discharged, there are after-care services where councilors visit them at home so as to monitor them.

Because drug abuse is rampart, the Center is carrying out some constructions so that it can accommodate up to 80 patients but that will only be possible in 2015.

“Parents have a big duty to advise children not to get involved in drugs. It is not only very dangerous but expensive as well to get off the network. The youth must avoid the peer pressure,” the sister advises.

“Do not ignore the neighbour’s child who is on drugs. Because that child may lure yours as well or do something horrible. We need to go back to the community norms of helping the neighbour,” Dr. Hafsa Lukwata, of Ministry of Health’s Mental Health department, counseled.

According to Ojaba, some people use drugs to get courage and commit dangerous crimes like rape, defilement, terrorism, money laundering and murder.

For the traffickers, Ojaba revealed that they not only promise heaven, they also have a number of ways of concealing their trade. In drug trafficking, a Success or Christmas card is not an exchange of pleasantries as we know it; it can be used to send drugs to another person.

Consignments of capsules are also used to conceal hard drugs. Even a button on the dress may not be a button as we see and know it; some times they are stuffed with drugs. A packet of Embassy cigarettes can be something else altogether; usually the tobacco is removed and replaced with marijuana. Some genuine cigarettes are retained so that one can smoke them to conceal the marijuana smell.

“We rely on partners outside to trace these parcels and the individuals involved. Usually, the packaging and documentation is suspect.”

Ojaba went on to reveal that the turning of peaceful demonstrations into violent ones can be attributed to the youths high on drugs.

“They act irregularly and without consulting the organizers. They take over as the leaders and start engaging in criminal acts, defeating the purpose of the peaceful demonstration.”

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) a kilogram of heroin costs US $ 30,000. For retail, heroin is packed in measurements of a gram and is sealed in polythene strips- pellets. These are what traffickers swallow to evade arrest. A pellet costs US $ 300. Cocaine fetches US $ 50,000 per a kilo.

Calls to have in place a stringent law that will curb the drugs menace have been on since 1993, as far as I can remember. Anti- Narcotics Unit heads: Elizabeth Kuteesa, Johnson Ayela, Barasha… did all within their means to draft the legislation that serves Uganda’s situation best. It is insults, reprimand and disappointment that they got in turn.

The Unit itself is always ill- equipped: no reliable transport, no funds to keep the officers in the field, no airtime to make that critical call and there is no access to the computer and internet.

And for every single seizure made, it means ten have gone unnoticed.

Compare this to the drug barons throwing money at every turn, and the picture is complete. Then the dubious investors and the free-for-all that Uganda has turned out to be. All these offer fertile ground for the crack business to thrive.

So even if the Bill is to become law, will it be implemented? Are Ugandan politicians only robbing the tax-payer’s hard earned money or are they accruing their obscene wealth from crack as well? How about the institutionalized corruption and the decayed institutions? Who is going to check this drug abuse and trafficking menace?

The will is conspicuously lacking.

These haphazardly constructed shopping malls all over the place, as well as the castles dotting Kampala’s hills are surely not the rewards of hard work and prudent savings!

Like Italy, Peru, Afghanistan, Mexico and other countries battling the drug maze, Uganda’s politicians too have been cited in the drugs cartels. In Britain, possession of a Ugandan diplomatic passport is enough reason to put you under surveillance, after a number of aides to key politicians turned out to be drug dealers.

As to when the Narcotics and other Psychotropic Substances law comes into force and what type of law it will be, is hard to tell. It is however easy to predict with  pin precision that it will be some years before Ugandan youth are protected from the ganja, sada, kikoola, kibaaba, njaaye or even kibaaya destruction, and the drug barons find Uganda dangerous to mint their obscene billions.