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The Impact of Drug Trafficking on Informal Security Actors in Kenya
Schuberth, Moritz
Schuberth, Moritz
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2014-09
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� 2014 Arnold Bergstraesser Institut. This is an Open Access article distributed under the Creative Commons CC-BY-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/3.0/)
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Abstract
The Kenyan state is currently under pressure from two sides. First, numerous non?state armed groups have taken over the provision of security in areas where the state is practically absent. Second, drug?trafficking organisations are gaining ground as the country is increasingly used as a major transit hub for narcotics. This article investigates the relationship between drug trafficking and informal security provision in Kenya and draws analogies from comparable experiences in Latin America and West Africa.
Field research in Kenya shows that profit?oriented informal security actors in Mombasa often work for drug lords, while their counterparts in Nairobi are more likely to be hired by politicians. Moreover, faith?based vigilante groups in both cities appear to be less susceptible to external manipulation by drug traffickers. The article concludes by considering the potential consequences of an expanding drug trade in Kenya.
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Schuberth M (2014) The Impact of Drug Trafficking on Informal Security Actors in Kenya. Africa Spectrum. 49(3): 55-81.
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