The entry of Mexican drug cartels points to East Africa’s rising capacity for the manufacture of synthetic drugs.
In October 2024, following a tip-off from the public, Kenya’s Anti-Narcotics Unit arrested three Kenyans, two Nigerians and a member of the Mexican Jalisco New Generation Cartel. They were charged at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) law courts with various drug-related offences. The JKIA courts were established in 2016 to expedite cases involving trafficking in drugs, people and wildlife.
The suspects had been operating a clandestine laboratory in Namanga, a town south of Nairobi on the Kenya-Tanzania border. Various drug precursors – chemicals used to manufacture illicit drugs – were found in their possession. These included methylamine, ethanol, phenylacetone, tartaric acid, sodium hydroxide, acetone and toluene, which are commonly used to make the highly addictive methamphetamine.
Some of the seized chemicals originated in India. According to one suspect’s passport, frequent trips were made between India and Kenya.
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This case validates concerns raised by Beverly Opwora, Kenya’s National Administration Secretary for Internal Security. Opwora linked the increasing demand for psychotropic and narcotic drugs in Africa to a rise in the illegal import and manufacture of precursors. Her assessment is supported by a recent finding that Africa is a major contributor to the global supply of synthetic drugs.
Kenya’s National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) links the rapid expansion of the global pharmaceutical and chemical sectors to a surge in the availability of precursor chemicals over the past two years. Many of these substances are diverted into illicit drug manufacturing. According to NACADA CEO Anthony Omerikwa, the legality and ease of access to precursors make them difficult to detect and control.
An increase in the local manufacturing of synthetic drugs is linked to a surge in their use among young people in Kenya. NACADA has highlighted that this illicit economy has led to increased crime rates, burdened healthcare systems and strained societal cohesion.
According to the 2024 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report, transnational organised crime groups from China, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nigeria and Iran, among others, are transporting, manufacturing and selling precursor chemicals to African markets.
The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime’s Jason Eligh told Africa Defense Forum that the Namanga lab, while remote, was strategically placed along a traditional drug trafficking route. The route had easy access to Mombasa and Dar es Salaam seaports and inland access to Uganda. He said a Mexican in the meth lab was training the Kenyans and Nigerians on how to produce the drug.
As a state party to the 1988 United Nations (UN) Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances and a member of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), Kenya is obligated to submit annual reports on substances frequently used to manufacture narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.
But Kenya and almost all other East African countries are currently not complying with the convention. Tanzania is the only state in the region that submitted its INCB report for 2023. While compliance doesn’t guarantee a solution, it is essential for tracking progress.
Tanzania reported – for the first time – on seizures of pharmaceutical preparations containing pseudoephedrine, a precursor chemical often used to make methamphetamine. This suggests that the availability and use of precursor chemicals in drug manufacture is becoming a regional problem.
The gap in INCB reporting may indicate the challenges East African states face in monitoring and acting on the growing threat of precursor misuse. Many authorities in the region struggle to identify new drug production trends, track illegal importation routes and intervene timeously. Limited resources, varying technical capacity and differing national priorities complicate efforts.
Kenya’s regulatory oversight would be strengthened by mandating thorough pre-licensing audits of chemical laboratories and digital tracking of pharmaceutical chemicals using barcodes. Achieving this requires greater political will, commitment to regulatory reforms, and effective enforcement.
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Integrating new technology in law enforcement – like forensic tools and early warning systems to detect illicit drug activities and map production and trafficking routes – would give Kenya the data to develop a robust approach. Authorities should also collaborate with organisations like the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, which has helped countries, including Mexico, with drug identification technology.
A stronger partnership with INTERPOL could help East African states build the capacity to submit proper and timely INCB reports. With this valuable information, international agencies can track patterns, develop or change strategies, and help countries address illegal drug production and trafficking. Submitting reports also signals that states are publicly committing to addressing the matter and being accountable.
Lastly, the Eastern Africa Police Chiefs Cooperation Organization (EAPCCO) could enhance regional inspections at major ports, monitor emerging trends in precursor chemical trade, and prepare annual reports to the INCB. This is a core role of the organisation and aligns with commitments made at its annual general meeting in Rwanda in January.
Valtino Omolo, Research Officer, ENACT, ISS Nairobi
