The National Assembly Departmental Committee on Health has urged government agencies to close loopholes used for drug smuggling into the country.
During a visit to Mombasa, the legislators confronted the grim reality of the drug problem when they toured drug dens in the city's CBD and the Miritini rehabilitation center.
Among the members of the parliamentary Health Committee present were Vice Chairperson Patrick Munene(MP Chuka Igambang'ombe), Mathenge Duncan(MP Nyeri Town), Dr. James Nyikal(MP Seme), Joshua Oron(MP Kisumu Central), and Antony Kibagendi(MP Kitutu Chache South).
Munene noted that not only are youths affected by alcoholism, but also by hard drugs. He called for action against drug barons and the sources of these destructive substances.
“We can’t be handling rehabilitation and bury our heads in the sand that hard drugs are not in this country because today I have seen young people with cocaine and heroin and the question that begs is where it is coming from?”, he said.
Munene stressed the importance of addressing the root causes of drug addiction, adding that addressing the source of the drugs is essential to solving the problem.
The MPs were impressed with the rehabilitation efforts at Miritini and encouraged other addicts to seek treatment.
Munene emphasized that drug addicts should not be isolated by society, saying the MPs are committed to supporting rehabilitation programs and ensuring adequate resources for the Miritini facility as they aim for the facility's reach to extend beyond Mombasa, across regions and counties.
The increase in HIV cases among young people was also highlighted by Munene, urging national discussions to prevent a reversal of progress made.
Dr. Ruth Laibon, CEO of the National Syndemic Disease Control Council, emphasized that injecting drug practices contribute significantly to HIV/AIDS, especially among men and boys in Kenya.
“The prevalence is about 18.7 per cent for people who inject drugs on HIV and that is quite high compared to other populations", she said.
Nyeri Town MP Mathenge Duncan called for the decentralization of government chemists to effectively combat illicit drugs.
Parliamentarians are advocating for the devolution of government chemists from Nairobi to regions and eventually to each county.
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