40 Kenyans Languishing in Hong Kong Prisons for Drug Trafficking

At least 40 Kenyans are presently languishing in Hong Kong prisons after they were arrested in connection with drug trafficking.

This was disclosed by Father John Wotherspoon, an Australian Catholic priest who has been campaigning against the coercion of Africans into becoming drug mules in the past six years. Father Wotherspoon has lived in Hong Kong for 35 years and has been a prison chaplain for the last two decades, Daily Nation reported.

This week, Father Wotherspoon spent a few days in Kenya as part of his campaign in Africa, which came on his fourth trip to the continent.  On Friday, the priest held a press briefing in Nairobi where he warned vulnerable Kenyans against falling victim to traffickers, most of who have Nigerian connections.

Wotherspoon indicated that Hong Kong was one of the prime destinations for traffickers due to the high prices drugs fetch there but stringent screening at the city’s airport and intelligence-gathering have seen many traffickers nabbed.

“There are about 40 Kenyans in Hong Kong prisons, according to the Kenyan consulate. Since 2017, at least 19 drug mules have been arrested at Hong Kong airport with drugs from Addis Ababa. Seven were Kenyan, four of them females,” said Father Wotherspoon.

The most recent arrest of a Kenyan was on January 1st, where a man was allegedly arrested with 600 grams of narcotics. “All his wife knows is that he traveled to Hong Kong on business. All we know is that if it was at least 600 grams of the pure drug, he is unlikely to return to his family for the next 10 or so years,” he said.

Father Wotherspoon, however, noted that prison life in Hong Kong is a heaven for Africans as prisoners get to choose the diet to take, are guaranteed free medicine and paid for work done.

“I know Tanzanian prisoners who make more money in prison than they would do back home,” he said.