Members of Parliament have called on state agencies to tighten control and eliminate all the avenues used for drug smuggling into the country.
The National Assembly Committee on Health, while on a tour of the Miritini Drug Rehabilitation Centre in Mombasa, said there is a need to put a stop to rampant drug use at the Coast.
This concern emerged after inspection of various drug dens within Mombasa central business district, where the reality of the drug problem in the region was witnessed.
Patrick Munene, the vice chairperson of the committee, said the government should focus on drug barons and the source of the narcotics to eradicate the destructive substances ruining young lives.
“While we continue our rehabilitation endeavours, we implore the government to address the roots of these hard drugs. We cannot oversee rehabilitation while turning a blind eye to the presence of hard drugs in our country,” he said.
“Today, I have personally witnessed young people in possession of cocaine and heroin, which raises the pressing question of their origin.”
Munene said government intelligence is capable of identifying the sources of these substances.
He underscored the urgency of tackling the issue at its source, rather than just addressing its consequences.
“We cannot continue massaging this problem and burying our heads in the sand,” he said.
He questioned how individuals could easily access cocaine and heroin in Kenya despite the presence of government.
“How do you explain that people can wake up in the morning and buy cocaine? We cannot address this issue of drugs until we address the sources,” he said.
Munene further expressed commitment to supporting rehabilitation programmes in Kenya and securing sufficient resources for facilities like Miritini.
He advocated for more rehabilitation centres, aiming to extend their reach to all regions and counties.
He encouraged addicts to seek treatment at Miritini and highlighted the alarming correlation between drug addiction and the rising rates of HIV infections.
Munene called for a national discussion on the HIV epidemic, expressing concern about the recent surge in infections among the younger demographic.
He implored partners, donors, and the government to prioritise HIV/Aids prevention efforts, as the country risks regressing to a dire state.
Ruth Laibon Masha, CEO of the National Syndemic Disease Control Council, emphasised that injecting drug practices, especially prevalent in the Coast region, significantly contribute to the HIV/Aids challenge.
She pointed out that around 8,800 individuals are provided with Methadone as an alternative every morning to prevent injecting heroin.
The HIV prevalence among injecting drug users stands at approximately 18.7 per cent, higher than the general population.
Masha highlighted the intertwined issues of HIV and hepatitis resulting from needle sharing and lamented the high occurrence of tuberculosis and HIV within this demographic.
She called for urgent attention to address these issues.