Insufficient funds hurting war on drugs, says Nacada

Barely a week after President Uhuru Kenyatta launched a campaign against drugs in Mombasa, the authority tasked with the mandate to campaign against the vice says it needs a billion shillings for the job.

The National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse chairman, John Mututho, on Thursday said they needed the money to intensify the war on drugs and substance abuse in the region.

President Kenyatta made the declaration after Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho requested his intervention, saying the drug problem had reached alarming levels.

More than 100 suspected peddlers and users have been arrested since the crackdown commenced.
CARE FOR ADDICTS
However, Mr Mututho (below) said Sh160 million allocated to Nacada this fiscal year is insufficient and the government should step up by allocating adequate funding to enable them discharge their mandate effectively.

“The funds provided by the government cannot cater for the more than 60,000 addicts in the coast region. We need more funds to facilitate our activities in waging war against the menace. What we have now is too little” he said.

The Nacada boss was speaking at Mombasa Beach Hotel during a meeting with coast county commissioners.

But Nacada director Sheikh Juma Ngao said the coast leaders were just pretending to be in the fight but none of them has come out to show his or her support.

He said politicians were afraid to fully come out on fighting the menace because they rely on votes from the same peddlers and addicts.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health announced that it will establish eight detoxification day-care centres with two detoxification inpatient facilities by next week.

The centres will be established at sub-county level. In Mvita Sub-county, the centres will be at Coast General Hospital and Mvita Health Centre. Others will be at Port Reitz Hospital in Changamwe, Shika Adabu and Mtongwe health centres and Reach out Rehabilitation Centres in Likoni and Bamburi dispensary.