The county government of Kwale through the department of Social Services and Talent management is partnering with the National Authority for the Campaign Against Drug Abuse (Nacada) to curb drug menace in the region.
Speaking during the official closing of a one week training of various staff that will run the ongoing programme the county executive for social services and talent management Ramadhan Masoud Bungale acknowledged Nacada for supporting the county in running anti-drug and substance abuse programs.
Bungale added that the county government has started special programmes that aim to help rehabilitating affected people.
The county official called on Nacada to work with various rehabilitation centres in the region to assist victims kick off addiction.
He said more than 700 recovering victims have received services from Kombani Methadone center while some of them are receiving counseling and behavior therapy at the Kombani Rehabilitation Center.
Nacada’s chief executive officer Victor Okioma in his speech said that there is need for cooperation of all government departments in the war of fighting drugs since one department cannot win.
He expressed concern about addiction to hard drugs by young people in the coastal county and said stakeholders need to work together to ensure the drug menace is eradicated.
“There are so many holistic approaches towards ending addiction. One way is to equip our clients with skills which they can use to start self-employment or even be employed,” he said.
He said Kwale will receive Sh5 million from the authority for supporting anti-drug war and protecting the future of the youth.
He applauded the county government for taking the drug war seriously since fighting drug and substance abuse was a devolved function.
Okiama urged the county government to make plans of taking over license issuing to bars and other liquor vendors so as to protect its residents.
“The county government can make arrangements to ensure license issuing is done after public participation,” he noted.
Matuga Deputy County Commissioner Isaac Keter said that national and county governments are liaising to ensure drug affected people is treated well rooting for sustained campaigns to fight the drugs scourge.
Officers from the department of social services and talent management and public administration received their certificates after the one week training at the Kombani Rehabilitation Center.
According to the National Authority for the Campaign against Drug Abuse (Nacada) hundreds of youth are addicted to drugs in the region and that substance abuse continues to be a challenge for the police.
The anti-drug agency says the alarming rate of hard drug use among the youth in the region has assumed a worrisome dimension despite persistent campaigns against the vice.
By Hussein Abdullahi
