Jubilee candidate for the Kibra MP seat in the upcoming by-election, MacDonald Mariga, has promised to push for the legalisation of bhang, once he gets to Parliament.
Responding to a curious crowd during a rally in Kibra, Sunday, Mariga noted that marijuana is increasingly being linked to the elusive cancer cure, and as such, part of his agenda as a legislator will be to see the substance legalised in the country.
“Tunajua shada inacure Cancer…Hiyo lazima tuipush (We all know bhang cures Cancer. We must push for its legalisation),” Mariga told his audience.
Mariga, however, cautioned that the often abused drug should only be used for medicinal purposes, and not for meaningless intoxication, which in turn leads to deviant behaviour by young people.
“Hatutaki bangi ya kuenda kupiga watu. Shada ni medicine (We do not want people to commit crime under its influence. Bhang use should only be for medicinal purposes),” he said.
Kibra, comprised mostly of a low-income electorate, is notorious for insecurity, fuelled by the high rates of poverty and joblessness among the youth.
Under the influence of bhang, youth perpetrate crimes, often violent in nature, in an attempt to survive the harsh living conditions in the sprawling slum.
Already, Cannabis is being used abroad to alleviate the symptoms of cancer-associated illnesses and to reduce the side effects of cancer treatments such as chemotherapy.
The Thursday by-election seeks to find a replacement for former area MP Ken Okoth, who died of cancer.