The government has announced plans to establish treatment and rehabilitation centres in all 47 counties to help drug and alcohol addicts.
In a statement on Wednesday, March 27, 2024, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki said the facilities would be funded by the national government in partnership with county governments.
Kindiki announced the move after inspecting the Miritini Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre to assess the immediate and short-term needs to expedite its completion.
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"The war on illicit alcohol, narcotic drugs, and psychotropic substances entails the complete suppression of both the supply and demand. To suppress demand, treatment, rehabilitation, and reintegration of addicts remains a key objective of the Government," Kindiki stated.
"The National Government is putting up several treatment and rehabilitation centres and will partner with county governments to ensure each of our 47 counties has such a centre offering affordable, publicly funded services to members of the public receiving treatment and rehabilitation."
Kindiki says the Miritini facility will cost Ksh1.3 billion on completion, out of which Ksh166 million has been disbursed.
"It will have treatment, rehabilitation and re-integration programs including training the recovered patients with technical skills like masonry, tailoring and engineering crafts and providing start-up capital for small businesses in line with their skills," he added.
Kindiki was accompanied by the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) Reverend Stephen Mairori, the CEO Dr Anthony Omerikwa and the staff, as well as the Mombasa County Security and Intelligence Heads.
Liquor stores closed
This comes days after Kindiki announced that over 18,000 liquor outlets across the country had been shut down for failing to meet legal obligations.
Among the liquor joints shut down are 6,500 operating in unauthorised areas and 12,250 operating without licences.
Kindiki announced on Monday that the government had also shut down 14 distilleries operating illegally, with their equipment destroyed to avert further brewery of illicit alcohol.
"We have been able to shut down 6,500 premises which were operating with licences but contrary to the Alcoholic Drinks Control Act which is superior to the county laws by virtue of our constitution. Those licences have been revoked for violating national law. We have also shut down 12,150 premises across the country which were operating without licences from any authority," Kindiki stated.
"We have also shut down as at this morning (Monday) 14 distilleries which were operating illegally in various parts of the country and we have also destroyed the infrastructure of those breweries to ensure that we destroy the production capability of manufacturing poisonous substances to the people of Kenya."
The government has recently intensified its crackdown against illicit liquor, which Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua spearheads.
