Kiambu County anti-drugs crusader Gladys Chania has fired a salvo at Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu’s ‘Kaa Sober’ programme.
Kaa Sober is a county government initiated programme where alcohol addicts have been roped into doing casual jobs across the county and paid by Waititu’s administration as a rehabilitation strategy.
However, Chania in an exclusive interview with Hivisasa says that she has a problem with Waititu’s branding of the Kaa Sober programme as “rehabilitation and treatment” because these are services only offered by professionals and not politicians.
The Child and Adult psychologist notes that though the Kiambu Governor is empowering the addicts, his programme is not offering rehabilitation and treatment services.
“I wouldn't have a problem with what Waititu is doing if only he doesn’t call it treatment and rehabilitation,” she observes. “The truth is that it can be another form of empowerment but it beats logic when they try to push it in the models of treatment and rehabilitation programs that have never existed in the world of addiction treatment.”
She adds: “I wish they can concentrate on roads, healthcare and schools. Let them leave social issues to the right agencies and professionals.”
Rehabilitation of alcohol addicts in Kiambu has opened a new duel between Waititu and County Women Representative Gathoni Wamuchomba who is running a parallel rehabilitation programme through the Mama Care Rehabilitation programme funded by National Government Affirmative Action Fund.
On Wednesday, the two leaders clashed in Uhuru’s presence at Wangunyu Primary School in Kiambaa where he presented certificates to 77 rehabilitated alcoholics.
A visibly angry Waititu took issue with Wamuchomba’s call that the recovering addicts should first get medical and psychosocial support before they are paid Sh400 every day by the county government.
Nevertheless, Chania says that the rehab centre in Kiambaa is not sustainable in terms of offering treatment to addicts because it has been on and off.
“The other facility in Wangunyu, Kiambaa, exists on and off so it cannot be a sustainable facility for treatment since these programs need aftercare programs to help in recovery as a process.”
Chania offers that Parliament should contemplate passing a law that allows for the constitution of a Psychological Board to deter people from taking issues of rehabilitation and treatment of addicts “like buying and selling of some commodities”.
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