The National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) has shut down Ahadi Rehabilitation Center in Githunguri, Kiambu County, following a disturbing unannounced inspection. The operation, carried out by NACADA’s Compliance and Enforcement team alongside Public Health officials, exposed a facility operating in deplorable and unsafe conditions, raising serious concerns about the exploitation of vulnerable Kenyans.
Investigators found several clients visibly ill yet receiving no proper medical attention. The living quarters were overcrowded and unsanitary, with torn and soiled mattresses scattered across poorly ventilated dormitories. Toilet facilities were filthy, posing significant health risks, while the kitchen, where meals were prepared for patients, was in a disgraceful state, with food stored under unhygienic conditions likely to cause disease outbreaks. Most alarmingly, the center operated without any qualified medical or counselling staff to support the clients battling addiction.
“This isn’t just substandard care; it’s criminal exploitation of vulnerable Kenyans,” declared NACADA CEO Dr. Anthony Omerikwa during the raid. He vowed that the authority would not tolerate illegal rehabilitation centres that function as mere “human warehouses” instead of places of healing. Dr. Omerikwa announced the launch of nationwide inspections targeting illegal facilities exploiting desperate families.
Kenya currently faces a severe shortage of accredited treatment centres, with only 139 out of 255 facilities inspected by NACADA being licensed to serve an estimated 3.2 million people suffering from substance use disorders. Despite this shortage, Dr. Omerikwa emphasized that quality and dignity in recovery must never be compromised.
Following the closure, NACADA safely transferred all clients to accredited facilities and contacted families to support their relocation. The public is urged to verify rehabilitation centres’ licenses through official NACADA channels and report suspicious facilities via the toll-free line 1192.
This crackdown highlights NACADA’s tougher stance against unregulated treatment centres and signals a commitment to safeguarding ethical, safe, and effective care for all Kenyans battling addiction.
