•Nationally, NACADA data shows that about 26,673 people inject themselves with heroin, cocaine and other drugs; 89 per cent being youth
•Mombasa, Kwale and Kilifi are among the top five Counties in the country accounting for 43 per cent of people who inject themselves with drugs
Image: DPCS
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has called on counties to channel revenue collected from alcoholic drinks licenses into building and equipping rehabilitation centres.
Speaking in Mombasa on Monday, the DP said despite the Coast region being hard hit by the menace of drug abuse, there exist only two public rehabilitation centres.
These include the Miritini Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre in Mombasa, which is run by NACADA and the Kwale County Government Rehabilitation Centre at Kombani.
"This is against 14 private facilities, charging from Sh90,000 or more, for a three months programme. This is not affordable for most families," Gachagua said.
According to the DP, the Coast region has about 18,000 injectable drug abusers, warning it was time to act rather than watch the youth get driven to extinction.
Nationally, NACADA data shows that about 26,673 people inject themselves with heroin, cocaine and other drugs; 89 per cent being youth.
Mombasa, Kwale and Kilifi are among the top five Counties in the country accounting for 43 per cent of people who inject themselves with drugs.
The other two are Nairobi and Kiambu.
Of greater concern is that drug injections spread HIV/AIDS as the users always share syringes.
Data shows that the prevalence of HIV/AIDS among people injecting drugs is 18.7 per cent against 4.3 per cent among the general population.
Besides HIV, people injecting drugs are exposed to Hepatitis B and C.
"Because of rejection from families and stigma from the society, most drug abusers stay together in dens and dungeons," Gachagua said.
This, the DP said, increases the risk of contracting tuberculosis and other communicable diseases.
The DP further noted that the drug menace in the Coast region is fueling high crime rates, particularly in Mombasa.
"Juveniles and youths trapped in drugs engage in lethal crimes to finance their abuse of hard drugs," Gachagua said.
"As you may bear witness, the deadly gangs - armed with crude weapons -terrorise people in Likoni, Kisauni, Old Town, among other areas," he noted.
The DP has attributed the high drug use in the region to porous borders and the open seas.
He further noted that rogue security officers in state agencies have been compromised in corruption by peddlers and drug barons.
Gachagua said such officers who have been abetting the illegal trade for way too long have no room under President William Ruto's administration.
Gachagua emphasized the need to review and strengthen the existing laws on manufacturing, distribution and sale of alcohol.