Twenty-eight youths from Thika subcounty have given up drugs and started a car wash business.
The youths, who were abusing and selling drugs in Biafra, Majengo and Ofafa estates in Thika town, gave up on the cat-and-mouse games with police and opened the business last year.
Drug abuse has been on the rise in Thika subcounty, where many residents have reported being mugged by young men, presumably for drug money.
Led by their chairman John Muchiri on Tuesday, they said they are tired of being harassed and arrested by police who demand Sh5,000 to let them go.
“The youths are trying to reform and most of them are attending training on how to gradually withdraw from drugs because some of them were addicts, Muchiri said at their Thingira Car Wash.
"We decided to start our car wash business to make a decent living, be good members of society and contribute to economic growth."
He said they have washed about 100 vehicles every day for Sh200 each. Most of their customers are taxi drivers and matatu operators in Thika town.
“We have no regrets. The job pays well and we have been making profits,” he said.
The police don't yet believe that they have transformed, saying police harass them whenever they carry out raids to arrest drug dealers.
“The criminals escape towards our car wash and the police arrest everyone including us. They fabricate charges against us at the station. We are tired of this,” Muchiri said.
Car wash worker Edgar Munene, AKA Fighter, said police arrest them for having bhang even at their workplace.
“We are trying our best to reform and shun drugs but the police are pulling us back there. We plead with them to leave us alone because we have changed for the better and become law-abiding citizens,” Munene said.
To end harassment by police, Thika town MP Eng Patrick Wainaina, through his Jungle Nut Foundation, donated aprons to the youth for easy identification.
“Police will now be able to identify who are not workers at the car wash,” Wainaina said.
He said he will assist the young men to register their group as a Sacco and train them on how to save so they can expand their business as well as improve their lives.
“I will personally train them on savings because they have proven that they are willing to better their lives. I predict they will not only be washing other people’s cars but owning their own,” Wainaina said.
The youth chairman said they will recruit more youths willing to give up drugs, get sober and go to work.
Rdited by R.Wamochie
