Experts from the National Authority for Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (Nacada) have poked holes into Kiambu Governor Ferdinard Waititu’s programme aimed at rehabilitating alcohol and drug addicts in the county.
The experts argued that the approach used by the county government will not help much, and may instead worsen the situation.Nacada, which is responsible for setting standards for rehabilitation, said the county’s approach was not in line with their guidelines, warning that it could worsen the alcoholism problem.“This programme could worsen alcoholism in the county because it is poorly contrived. Today, if you give me Sh300, I will go and take alcohol in the evening and come to work tomorrow for more. You are actually enhancing my drinking behaviour, not curing it,” said Nacada CEO Victor Okiamo, through Ms Judy Twala, the authority’s regulatory services manager, as quoted by the Nation.A section of Kiambu leaders including Senator Kimani Wamatangi, Woman Rep Gathoni Wamuchomba, MPs Moses Kuria (Gatundu South) and Patrick Wainaina (Thika) have in the past also raised concerns over the same approach.The leaders also faulted Waititu for using millions of shillings to rehabilitate alcoholics in the county.Waititu has however defended the programme, arguing that the money used to pay the youth belongs to them as it is collected from residents as revenue.The 5,000 residents enrolled in the programme receive Sh400 daily – Sh300 as wages for the manual labour they undertake daily, and Sh100 for breakfast and lunch; which adds up to Sh520 million in a year when other expenses like fueling of vehicles are included.