The National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) has closed 15 rehabilitation facilities nationwide after identifying serious violations that endangered clients’ safety.
The closures followed a nationwide inspection of 236 rehabilitation facilities across 36 counties under NACADA’s Rapid Results Initiative (RRI). Of the facilities assessed, 135 were fully accredited, collectively offering nearly 3,800 residential beds.
“Thirty facilities were denied accreditation, and 15 were issued immediate closure notices due to violations that posed risks to clients, including expired medications, poor hygiene, unsafe structures, and a lack of qualified medical personnel,” NACADA stated on Thursday.
Additionally, 56 facilities were found to have compliance gaps and will remain under close monitoring to ensure standards are met.
NACADA highlighted that most accredited rehabilitation centers are privately owned, making access to quality inpatient care prohibitively expensive for many families. The authority also noted a critical shortage of public outpatient and community-based treatment services, alongside an urgent need for specialized rehabilitation programs for women and adolescents.
“From our last national survey on alcohol and drug abuse, over 1.3 million Kenyans require treatment and rehabilitation services, particularly women and adolescents,” NACADA stated.
The authority has called on county governments to prioritize accessible public treatment facilities and urged partners to invest in community-based and specialized services to address the growing demand.
