NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 30 – Kitale has emerged as a hotspot for drug and substance abuse as traffickers increasingly target towns with large student populations, Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has warned.Speaking at the launch of the 2025 National Policy on Alcohol, Drugs, and Substance Abuse in Nairobi on Wednesday, Murkomen said drug networks are exploiting urban centers hosting colleges and universities to expand their reach among young people.“In fact, I was surprised to learn that Kitale leads in terms of the presence of illicit alcohol and drugs,” he said. “They may not have a university, but Kitale Polytechnic has 16,000 students, plus other colleges around there.”Murkomen cited Eldoret as another emerging target, attributing the trend to its growing student population and institutional expansion. Murkomen spoke at the launch of the 2025 National Policy on Alcohol, Drugs, and Substance Abuse in Nairobi on Wednesday/MINA“Eldoret is an area of new target because of the enhanced number of students there,” he added.The CS also highlighted Kenya’s strategic geographical location as a double-edged sword, saying that while it benefits trade and regional integration, it has also made the country vulnerable to illicit drug trafficking.“Our vulnerability is a result of our porous borders and the instability in neighboring countries like South Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, and parts of Uganda,” he noted.“These regional challenges are complicating our fight against drugs.”Murkomen called for judicial and legislative reforms to strengthen the legal framework on drug and alcohol control, criticizing current enforcement challenges, particularly around evidence requirements.“The problem we have now is these median fines and the insistence on a certain level of evidence. It’s important to have evidence, but maybe we need to look at the Penal Code and consider presumptions—such as presuming that any alcohol manufactured without a valid certificate is illicit unless proven otherwise,” he said.The new national policy seeks to provide a comprehensive strategy to curb the production, trafficking, and consumption of alcohol, drugs, and other harmful substances across the country.