Prosecuted drug addicts should be taken to rehabilitation centres and not prison, Chief Justice David Maraga has said.
Speaking in Hindi, Lamu West on Friday during the launch of the Lamu Rehabilitation Centre, Maraga said that addicts are not criminals and they deserve better treatment than what they have been receiving in the past because of their habits.
He said that the addicts need to be given medical attention so that they can recover from the habit instead of being sent to prison.
Maraga, however, said that those linked to drug trafficking will be treated as criminals and charged accordingly over the same.
The CJ noted that drug and substance abuse has ruined the lives of many Kenyans and appealed to various stakeholders to unite in the fight against the menace.
Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji who spoke during the same function said that the government is committed in anti-drugs fight and aims to change the lives of addicts in the country.
He noted that he will work with the office of the Inspector General of Police to ensure that the issue of drugs is addressed with immediate effect.
“We have agreed with the DCI and IG to ensure we give people a chance to rehabilitation first rather than going directly to court for trial or judgment,” he said, as quoted by the Daily Nation.