Caucus Against Drugs And Substance Abuse Deliberates On Mitigating The Menace In The Country
Parliamentary Caucus on Drugs members pose for a photo with representatives from United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Programme Manager, World Health Organization (WHO) after a consultative meeting yesterday.
By PSCU
Worth Noting:
- “Rehabilitation is very expensive in Kenya and we need to get partners to help us in constructing rehabilitation centers. We also need to build capacity for alternative sources of income for those who do not use drugs, but are conduits of the same, such as the women who peddle chang’aa. We need to get them off that enterprise, reskill them, and help them establish constructive business ventures,” Kibagendi explained.
- Nyeri Town MP Maina Mathenge noted that the avenues for access of these drugs are increasing by the day.
The National Assembly Parliamentarians against Drugs and Substance Abuse Caucus has called for a national conversation to address the drug abuse menace in the country, and to explore solutions to help the affected.
The lawmakers led by the chairperson of the Caucus, Antoney Kibagendi (Kitutu Chache South) made the call when they met with officials from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Programme Manager, World Health Organization (WHO) yesterday.
While exploring immediate solutions to mitigate the situation , the lawmakers emphasized the need for various agencies mandated to deal with the vice to scale up efforts on the fight against the villainy through advocacy, creation of awareness and setting up rehabilitation centers across the country.
The legislators further underscored the need for the government to build partnerships with different stakeholders for this to work, with a keen focus on control mechanisms for both licit and illicit substances.
“Rehabilitation is very expensive in Kenya and we need to get partners to help us in constructing rehabilitation centers. We also need to build capacity for alternative sources of income for those who do not use drugs, but are conduits of the same, such as the women who peddle chang’aa. We need to get them off that enterprise, reskill them, and help them establish constructive business ventures,” Kibagendi explained.
Nyeri Town MP Maina Mathenge noted that the avenues for access of these drugs are increasing by the day.
He highlighted the need to decentralize the government chemist services, to ensure that those who are apprehended have their cases expedited.
“Our judicial system relies on laboratories that are centralized in Nairobi and we urgently need support in devolving the government chemist services first into regions and then into counties to speed up testing and analysis,” held Maina.
His Buuri counterpart Rindikiri Mugambi raised concerns over the increase of drug intake especially in areas that are less suspected including schools and churches, and the increase of drug abuse by women.
He expressed optimism that the partnership between the Caucus, UNODC and WHO would yield results and help curb the menace which has imperiled the lives of many young people .
On her part, Esther Passaris (Nairobi County) proposed the establishment of harm reduction programmes; which she noted has worked in countries like Portugal.
She argued that establishing safe houses for rehabilitation of drug abuse victims for free, and thereafter providing them with training in various technical skills and start-up capital, would encourage the affected to come out of it and live responsibly.
Mr. Neil Walsh, Regional Representative for Eastern Africa, UNODC, noted that funding has been the biggest challenge.
Dr. Joyce Nato, the Programmes Manager in Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases at WHO undertook that through the organization, they would request other partners to collaborate in the cause, in the development of a joint funding concept with the Legislators.
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