Both officials and members of the public pointed to drug abuse as a deeply rooted problem among young people in Lamu, linking it directly to rising cases of violence, including machete attacks and other forms of crime.
Participants noted that substance abuse has contributed to increased vulnerability among youth, making them more susceptible to criminal activity and exploitation.
Issa Timamy said drug abuse is at the centre of the county’s security concerns, arguing that it fuels a wide range of social and criminal problems.
“Every problem of machetes and crime the mother of all these problems is drugs. There is nothing else,” Timamy said.
Security officials also raised concerns about reports of young people crossing into neighbouring Somalia to join the extremist group Al-Shabaab.
They warned that the combination of drug abuse, unemployment, and radicalisation poses a serious threat to stability in the region.
Coast Regional Police Commander Ali Nuno said the government would take firm action against individuals involved in the drug trade, accusing them of destroying the lives of young people.
“To the drug barons: you have killed our young people and you are still here. I am giving an order OCS, step on these drug barons one after another,” Nuno said.
He emphasised that security agencies have been instructed to intensify operations targeting drug networks and dismantle the supply chains that continue to feed addiction in the county.
According to officials, such efforts are critical in restoring order and protecting vulnerable communities.
Residents who attended the barazas called for sustained enforcement measures and rehabilitation programmes to help affected youth recover and reintegrate into society.
Some also urged authorities to address underlying socio-economic challenges, including unemployment and lack of opportunities, which they said contribute to drug use and crime.