TAKE CHARGE OF AIDS AND DRUGS WAR, YOUTH URGED

Nairobi - Muslim leaders yesterday asked the government to declare drug
abuse a national disaster, as an Assistant minister challenged the youth to
take charge of the fight against drugs and HIV/Aids.

Speaking to the Sunday Standard in Mombasa, the Muslim leaders appealed to
President Mwai Kibaki to declare the vice a national disaster.

Elsewhere, the Assistant minister for Provincial Administration, Mr Danson
Mungatana, asked the youth to take charge of the National Campaign Against
Drugs (Nacada) and the National Aids Control Council (Nacc).

The Muslim leaders at the Coast involved in fighting drug abuse said the
country was in the grip of an epidemic.

Sheikh Mohamed Sheikh of Youth Against Child and Drug Abuse (YACADA),
Ustadh Maalim Babu and Ustadh Mohamed Haddad said hundreds of youths had
perished due to drug abuse.

They said the destruction of schools through arson by students and unrest
in most learning institutions is caused by drug abuse. They said drugs are
easily available in most towns, citing the example of Mombasa, where hard
drugs such as heroin, cocaine, and Mandrax can be bought off the streets.

The leaders said the government should hunt down the drug barons. Political
goodwill is needed to tackle the drug problem, which they acknowledged had
permeated the society and ruined youths.

The Muslim scholar said the government should allocate funds specifically
to support anti-drug groups in efforts to rid the society of the menace.

They said that since the launch of Yacada four months ago, several
notorious drug dealers had been arrested and charged.

Officials the group blamed Coast politicians for not involving themselves
in combating drug abuse.

They said politicians spend too much time fighting one another at the
expense of addressing issues such as drug abuse.

Mungatana, who was speaking to the youth in Mombasa during celebrations to
mark the International Global Youth Day, said it was sad that the youth had
been neglected in tackling problems affecting them.