What if i smoke a joint, especially on vacation? That may be what many tourists arriving in the land of sunshine, nature and cheerful anarchy may think. Nothing could be more wrong and risky, especially at this time when the no-holds-barred fight against drugs has escalated, particularly in Kilifi County.

Unremitting fight against drugs in Kilifi County. There have been numerous narcotics seizures in recent weeks in Malindi, Watamu, Mwtapa and Kilifi with a much more than symbolic burning in recent days at the Kenya Medical Research Centre (Kemri) in Kilifi ordered by the Malindi court. Kilograms of marijuana and heroin with a total value of about 180,000 were burned. 

"We decided to take them to the KEMRI center because it has an incinerator that can destroy large quantities of drugs without polluting the environment, as recommended by the National Environment Management Authority," said the Malindi magistrate who oversaw the operation.
Burning the drugs is the surest way to prevent them from coming back into circulation, because seizures often end in "mysterious" disappearances from police warehouses.

It is important to remember that the law on drug possession in Kenya is very strict: even being found with a joint is enough and you risk 10 years in jail, because "modest quantity" is not covered in Kenya as it is in Italy, and there is no difference between personal use and potential dealing.
This is for the benefit of tourists and those who, amid the lure of vacationing in an exotic place where the impression can be one of cheerful anarchy where anything or almost anything is allowed, think they can do anything that is impossible elsewhere.

The first rule is to be even more obedient and careful than in one's own country, and the second is to frequent as few environments as possible where people hang out who, because of the type of life and habits, can become dangerous in so many ways. A drug dealer, for example, is not only a disreputable person, but also a likely police informant.
Ending up in a cell in Africa for a "stoned" vacation is never a good experience, nor is it pleasant to have people on the payroll to get away with it. Not least because sooner or later the stakes rise and the game ends.