A report prepared under the auspices of the European Union has accused Kenyan politicians of being a stumbling block in the fight against heroin-trafficking.

The report said that wealthy drug traffickers have sought political offices or have established links with political leaders as a way of protecting their businesses.

“In Kenya, which one could characterise as a market where there is ‘multi-polar competition,’ drug traffickers have either campaigned directly for political office or are often linked to political interests,” the researchers said in part.

As a result of the collusion between traffickers and political leaders, the number of Kenyans who are actively abusing heroin has risen to 55,000 which is significantly higher that Tanzania that has 32,000.

In their report, the researchers say they spoke to various sources who were familiar with the war against drug trafficking, including senior KDF officers and an experienced seafarer.

They also established that heroin trafficking was especially rampant at the Kenyan coast, which they attributed to the fact that it lies along the transit route.

The drugs originate from Afghanistan and use the Southern sea route before ending up in South Africa for transportation to the European markets.

Kenyan political leaders have over the past decade been linked to drug trafficking although none of them has been arrested and prosecuted over the same.

In 2009, then Internal Security Minister George Saitoti shocked the nation after he namedfour MPs who were suspected of involvement in drug trafficking.

Saitoti told a tense House that MPs Gidion Mbuvi Sonko (Makadara, now Nairobi Governor), Hassan Joho (Kisauni, now Mombasa Governor), Assistant Minister Harun Mwau (Kilome) and William Kabogo (Juja, former Kiambu Governor) were under investigation by the police over the narcotics trade.