Former National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse Chief Executive Officer Victor Okioma is dead.
A source told the Star Friday evening that Okioma died while undergoing treatment in India.
Okioma who left Nacada in May, 2023, retired from the position after serving for a term of five years.
Prof John Muteti held the position in an acting capacity from May 15, 2023 until the appointment of the current CEO Dr Anthony Omerikwa on November 1, 2023.
In February 2023, Okioma released a damming report indicating that primary school pupils were the biggest traffickers of prescription drugs.
He said despite the restrictions put in place, abuse of prescription drugs in schools was one of the biggest problems faced by schools in Kenya.
Okioma expressed shock that it was alarming that primary school pupils had easier access to drugs compared to their high school counterparts.
“No one would suspect that they are drugs because they are meant for medication but they are actually substances of abuse,” he said.
“The risk is even bigger to primary school children because they have fewer restrictions as compared to high school students especially because of free movement in and out of the schools,’’ Okioma added.
A seasoned Public Administrator with vast experience in the implementation of government policies related to security, drug control and rehabilitation, Okioma spearheaded implementation of key programmes in line with Kenya’s drug control strategy during his stint at Nacada.
A holder of a Bachelors of Arts Degree and a Master’s Degree in International Studies alongside other professional courses, Okioma had prior to joining Nacada served as National Administration Secretary in the Ministry of Interior where he coordinated national government’s operations and programmes across all the 47 counties.
