Nairobi News

ChillaxHashtag

Chipukeezy dampens hopes of 500 acres ganja farm in Kenya


By Thomas Matiko

Comedian Chipukeezy has dismissed reports by a US firm that it has obtained a license from the government to plant marijuana on a 500 acre piece of land in the country.

On Tuesday, Business Daily splashed a story on its front page, reporting that an American company based in New York, ‘GoLP Global Inc’ had obtained a license from the Ministry of Agriculture allowing it to cultivate the Cannabis plant.

The company’s chairman Ike Sutton was quoted saying that they had already received approval from the Ministry and were finalizing the licensing to allow them cultivate the crop for export.

Cultivation and consumption of marijuana is illegal in Kenya.

In a statement, Chipukeezy, who is a director at the National Authority for the Campaign Against Drug Abuse (Nacada), termed the reports as misleading.

“The article published on Page 1 and 4 of the Business Daily of March 25, 2019 about a firm that has obtained a license to grow Marijuana in Kenya is misleading. The Board that is envisaged to issue such licenses under The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substance (Control) Act, 1994 is not operational. GoIP Global Inc is therefore advised to desist from misleading the public,” Chipukeezy noted.

When Business Daily contacted the Ministry through its Principal Secretary Hamadi Boga, he denied being aware of such a license.