Coast drug addicts decry shortage of rehabs and counselling centers




Hundreds of recovering drugs addicts in Mombasa County have decried lack of easy access to rehabilitation services to support them. Walid Mbarak from Mtwapa in Kilifi County said raising fare to travel to Freetown Centre to collect methadone dose was a major hurdle.

“We are asking for support from government to enable us access the methadone and counselling services. Because we are jobless, sometimes we fail to raise fare to get to this centre,” said Mr Mbarak, adding that the society has also stigmatised them. He urged the Government to also include them in menial jobs programme for youths as idleness makes most of them to relapse.

Mashinani Watch Organisation Executive Diretor Moffat Mutero said the drug menace in Coast Region is now alarming and there is need for government to also focus on rehabilitation programmes as it continues to fight drug trafficking across the country.

"The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Control Act No 4 of 1994 Section 52 to 58 speaks about Rehabilitation Fund and how it is supposed to be implemented and the most shocking thing is that, up to date the fund has not created any tangible impact to drug users. We want government through NACADA to implement the Act to the maximum and come up with solutions particularly on matters of easy access to rehabilitation services  as well as connecting the reformed drug addicts to job opportunities in both public and private sectors." said Mr. Mutero.

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