Presidential aspirant George Wajackoyah promises to legalise bhang

George Wajackoyah

Roots Party Presidential aspirant George Wajackoyah.

Photo credit: Sila Kiplagat | Nation Media Group

Roots Party Presidential aspirant George Wajackoyah has promised to legalise bhang if elected Kenya's president in the August 9 General Election.

The professor of law at the University of Nairobi claims that marijuana farming will improve Kenya's economy. 

“We need to create employment opportunities for our people and the growing of marijuana will go a long way in achieving this. The problem is that we have been indoctrinated to view it [bhang] from a negative perspective. If you go to Denmark, they use it for medicinal purposes,” the Nairobi immigration lawyer said.

While citing the current legalisation for marijuana in some states in the United States, Prof Wajackoyah condemned leaders opposed to the move.

“Some leaders are opposed to marijuana saying it is bad yet some of them steal public funds and take advantage of the poor people in the society. When other people do something wrong you are the first to point out yet you are also doing the wrong thing. We need to move away from this,” he added.

The Kenya’s Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act classifies marijuana as a narcotic drug and anyone found in the use or sale of the drug can be imprisoned for not less than twenty years.

Prof Wajackoyah also claimed he has a farm in Texas, USA, where intends to carry out large scale farming of marijuana.

He has promised to become the first president in Africa to legalise the growing and export of marijuana.

“We need to face the truth. I will be the first president in Africa to legalise and export marijuana. I do not care what the voters think because this is the right thing to do.”

He was speaking during a local TV interview on Thursday.