- He said the money will be purposely used in curing the drug problem.
- Mombasa has more than 10,000 injecting drugs users in dire need of rehabilitation.
Image: HANDOUT
ODM Mombasa gubernatorial candidate Abdulswamad Nassir has pledged to spend millions of shillings to rehabilitate drug addicts if elected.
The Mvita MP said his strategy will be to ensure a percentage of the millions collected in Mombasa annually as liquor licensing fees is set aside for rehabilitation and treatment.
He said the money will be used for curing the drug problem, a menace that had dogged the coastal town for years.
In an exclusive interview with the Star on Tuesday, Nassir said the cost of rehabilitating youths caught up in drug addiction is usually very high for many families.
“One of the first things that we will do is to ensure that a certain percentage of the liquor licensing fees will be ring-fenced for nothing else except rehabilitation,” Nassir said.
He said the money will then be budgeted for prevention, treatment and sustainability programmes.
Nassir said the county is going to work with the existing rehabilitation centres to subsidise the amount payable to these institutions.
Currently, it costs a minimum of Sh30, 000 per month for one drug user admitted into the rehabilitation programme. The cost can rise to up to Sh80, 000 depending on the type of facility.
Mombasa has an excess of 10,000 injecting drugs users who are in dire need of rehabilitation.
“My administration will partner with existing stakeholders to refurbish and expand drug rehabilitation programmes to benefit our youth,” he said.
Nassir said they are also going to increase the number of Methadone centres in the county to help the number of drug addicts enrolled in the programme.
Methadone is used to treat heroin addicts. It reduces withdrawal symptoms, such as shaking, shivering, and other flu-like symptoms.
“Methadone greatly helps IDUs to gradually phase out from the menace,” Nassir said.
The other part of the fund will be used in the school outreach programmes, where they will be targeting young boys and girls.
“This can be directly correlated to youth unemployment and poverty. The wider the social gap, the more pervasive these social ills have become," Nassir said.
“My government will invest heavily in drug rehabilitation centres with qualified staff and programmes to reintegrate them into society.”
Reachout Centre Trust, a leading non-profit provider of substance abuse treatment and prevention services in Mombasa, said Nassir’s strategy is achievable.
Reachout executive director Taib Abdulrahman said they have already had a conversation with Nassir on the strategy and how to implement it.
He said they have already designed a five-year programme - Sustainable Harm Reduction Strategy that will be launched soon.
In the strategy, they have proposed the formation of a committee of anti-drug stakeholders that will be part of the liquor licensing board.
“The committee will be budgeting on what percentage should go into drug prevention, treatment, training and sustainability of the programme,” he said.
According to Abdulrahman, they have more than 3,000 IDUs, who have passed under their programme over the years.
They have in excess of 7,000 non-injecting drugs users, who include bhang smokers and alcohol addicts, who have passed under their programmes.
(Edited by Tabnacha O)