A new report by the National Crime Research Center has revealed the key routes used by cannabis traffickers to supply bhang into the country.

An amazing 19 routes have been mapped, with a report categorizing the routes into three: Ethiopia routes, Tanzania routes and Uganda routes.

All these routes lead to Nairobi, Mombasa and any other urban centers in the country.

According to the study, traffickers strategically adjust their routes to avoid police detection, often changing routes and establishing new routes along major transport corridors.

Some use “panya routes” (unmanned, hidden paths) along highways, lakes and even forests.

“Cannabis trafficking routes are not linear and traffickers have a network of highly paid informants and spies who conduct surveillance along major highways and roads,” said a Mombasa police officer specializing in narcotics cases.

“This facilitates the easy movement of cannabis to avoid law enforcement.”

The security implications of this are significant, underscoring the need for increased intelligence gathering and rapid response surveillance across the country.

The complex network of traffickers also incorporates sophisticated surveillance technology, using informants and spies who carry out risk assessments to inform traffickers of police presence along routes.

An experienced police officer in Nakuru County shared an example of how traffickers evade detection.

“I once received information from one of my informants that bhang was transported from Moyale to Nairobi. To avoid detection, the traffickers used the Bute route to Garissa and from Garissa, they went to Thika, then to Nakuru (via Kamwangi forest road) and then headed to Nairobi when we ambushed and arrested them “, he said.

Given the increasingly complex network of cannabis trafficking routes, Kenyan law enforcement has responded by intensifying intelligence operations, surveillance and makeshift checkpoints on highways and access roads.

“That is why we are also stepping up our surveillance and sometimes erecting impromptu roadblocks and checkpoints on highways and access roads across the country,” the Mombasa-based officer pointed out.

Despite these efforts, the adaptive strategies used by traffickers, including the constant use of informants and “panya routes”, make it difficult to stop the flow completely.

With cannabis routes constantly changing based on real-time intelligence, law enforcement in Kenya faces an ongoing challenge.

Here are the routes:

Ethiopian routes

Routes originating in Ethiopia enter Kenya primarily through Moyale, passing through towns and regions with various detours:

1. Ethiopia – Moyale – Mandera – Garissa – Mombasa

2. Ethiopia – Moyale – Marsabit – Isiolo – Meru/Nairobi

3. Ethiopia – Moyale – Garissa – Thika – Nakuru – Nairobi/Mombasa

4. Ethiopia – Marsabit – Great North Road or Mandera – Wajir – Garissa – Nairobi – Mombasa

5. Ethiopia – Moyale – Mandera – Garissa – Thika – Nairobi

6. Ethiopia – Marsabit – Lake Turkana – Lodwar – Kitale

7. Ethiopia – Forole – Kargi – Wamba – Maralal – Nyahururu – Nairobi

8. Ethiopia – Moyale – Brum – Shur – Marki – Isiolo – Maua – Meru

Tanzanian routes

Key routes in Tanzania, originating mostly from Migori and other areas of Lake Victoria, pass through the rural roads of western Kenya and eventually converge on the major urban centers:

1. Tanzania – Migori – Kisii – Narok – Ntulele – Mai Mahiu – Naivasha – Nairobi/Mombasa

2. Tanzania – Migori – Oyugis – Kisumu – Eldoret

3. Tanzania – Migori – Kisii – Kericho – Nakuru – Naivasha – Nairobi – Mombasa

4. Tanzania – Muhuru Bay (Lake Victoria) – Migori – Rongo – Kisii – Narok – Naivasha – Nairobi/Mombasa

Uganda Routes

Routes from Uganda enter Kenya through the border points at Busia and Malaba, using major highways and lake access points to move transport south:

1. Uganda – Busia/Malaba – Kisumu – Kericho – Nakuru – Nairobi – Southern Bypass Mlolongo – Mombasa

2. Uganda – Malaba – Bungoma – Kiminini – Eldoret – Nairobi

3. Uganda – Busia/Malaba – Kisumu – Chepilat – Kaplong – Narok – Nairobi/Mombasa

4. Uganda – Busia/Malaba – Kisumu – Kericho – Nakuru – Nairobi – Mlolongo – Mariakani – Kilifi – Lamu

5. Uganda – Busia/Malaba – Kisumu – Kericho – Nakuru – Nairobi – Mombasa

6. Uganda – Port Sio – Busia (Lake Victoria) – Kisumu – Kericho – Nakuru – Nairobi – Mombasa

7. Uganda – Migingo Island (Lake Victoria) – Mbita – Homa Bay – Kisii – Narok – Nairobi/Mombasa