NAIROBI, Kenya- The Kenyan government is shifting its fight against alcohol and drug abuse toward treatment, recovery, and rehabilitation, with President William Ruto announcing plans to establish rehabilitation centres in all 47 counties.
Speaking after chairing a high-level multi-agency meeting, the President said the initiative aligns with commitments made in his New Year Address, reflecting a whole-of-government approach that goes beyond enforcement.
Under the plan, the national government will work closely with county governments and the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) to roll out county-level rehabilitation facilities, while also strengthening existing services in national referral hospitals.
To reduce the financial burden on families, the Social Health Authority (SHA) will enhance health cover for substance abuse treatment and long-term recovery, a move expected to expand access to care for vulnerable communities.
Chaired a multi-agency meeting to accelerate our response to alcohol and drug abuse in line with commitments outlined in my New Year Address.The relevant legal framework will be finalised to strengthen coordination and accountability across government as additional officers are
Ruto acknowledged that addiction has increasingly become a national security and public health challenge, particularly among young people, and said rehabilitation must go hand-in-hand with prevention and enforcement.
While the government will deploy additional officers to the Anti-Narcotics Unit and strengthen border surveillance to disrupt drug trafficking networks, the President stressed that recovery and reintegration remain central to the strategy.
“Our focus remains clear,” Ruto said.
“We will apply a whole-of-government approach integrating prevention, enforcement, treatment and recovery to safeguard our people and national security.”
