The death dungeon

Drugs abuse is rampant among the youth and is threatening to wipe out a generation. The dangers are real and Pulse has partnered with Youth Against Drugs to fight the menace countrywide, writes STEVENS MUENDO

They were in a deplored state as they restlessly writhed from their hospital beds, some tearing their clothes apart. Their trembling dry lips kept their mouth an open jar as their blood shot eyes protruded off their lids like apple balls. Gazing at nothing in particular. Like aliens from a lost world, they strain to make sense of a world they once lived in normalcy.

We are at Mombasa General Hospital where hundreds of hardened drug addicts have now sought refuge from sneering death, not even the braves could hold back their tears as we watched horror scenes of young drugs victims, captives and slaves of a vice whose real players — the millionaire class of drug barons — has remained illusive even to the power of the law.

A volunteer group Youth For Youth Against Drugs whose Coast branch is known as Amka Pwani alongside local celebrities and health counsellors toured Kongowea area to see the extent of abuse among the youth in that area.

Moving plea

"Mkifika Nairobi, tuonyesheni kwa TV. Na muambie ulimwengu ututoe kwa hii minyororo ya madawa za kulevya," a rugged and emaciated drugs addict begged as he gave thanks for the plate of food the visitors had offered him. It was one of his decent meals in weeks, probably months. He appears to in his mid 20s.

Now, hundreds are suffering from drug addiction have run for refuge. Withdrawal symptoms characterise the centres. Here, depression, anxiety, insomnia, nausea and sweating torments with hell’s fury.

It is no longer a laughing matter. The Pulse generation is now addicted to drugs which experts warn that if action is not taken, Kenya risks having a wasted generation.

Substance abuse such as smoking bhang and taking cocaine among school going pupils is now a widespread fad — shockingly being regarded as ‘cool’ by some youngsters. The fight against tobacco smoking, chewing miraa and consumption of alcohol among students in the same age group looks like a war long lost. Then there is cyber addiction, which is being termed as a new risk to this generation. With this, rampant sex and crime among the defiant experimental crop of youth is causing national panic as parents count the deaths associated with the same.

Not even their icons, the music stars, have been spared. Besides, drug addiction knows no boundaries when it comes to social classes, wealth, ethnicity or status counts for little.

Strange deaths

Three years ago, under very mysterious circumstances, the sudden death of Drygin and Frakaz famed for their chartbuster Man U na Arsenali shocked the showbiz world as rumours went round that their deaths had something to do with alcohol and drugs abuse.

From left: Singers Nyota Ndogo, Cannibal, DNA and Size 8 are among the local celebrities who are at the forefront in the countrywide youth-led anti-drugs campaign.

The two were common fixtures in downtown pubs. They could drink days and nights out. Occasionally, they would disappear from their homes leaving their families and friends a worried lot. In 2008, when Frakaz passed on one of his lungs had failed.

The following year, a Kenyan model was arrested in China in possession of a drug haul while another was arrested at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

A secret report has linked a leading Kenyan rapper and a son of a prominent politician to a drug cartel.

Big trade

As drug barons thrive in illegal multi billion drugs syndicates, middlemen in the distribution process are using unsuspecting youth. Once in it, hooked youth remain at the mercy of their masters with life threatening conditions at play.

From the backstreets, car parks, school playgrounds, clubs and other social places distributing youth are now hawking drugs to their mates at free will. With as little as Sh20, a school going youth can access bhang or biscuits — for that is the latest term — any time of the day they’d wish to get it.

"Since I was 15 years of age, I was doing drugs. Starting from light ones, I got hooked and graduated to cocaine and heroine then speedballs. In 2005, I was fully addicted and thought there was no going back," Harrison Muniu aka Bamzigi confessed.

The singer and songwriter has been rehabilitated from the drug menace, which has seen a number of local artistes, and scores of Kenyan young lose lives.

"I hit the lowest end of life, almost ending up a zombie. It drained my finances and got me at loggerheads with family and friends. I had to go through three rehab centres before I was fully rehabilitated. It took be two years to get back to sanity," adds Bamzigi.

The singer is just one out of a growing list of celebrated personalities who are now telling of their struggle and fight with the menace.

Runway hitmaker Jaguar and hip-hop star turned gospel artistes DNA are some of the other big shots who have confessed falling prey to alcohol and drugs addiction before they reformed with DNA turning minister of the cross.

On the worst night ever, DNA drank his head up all night during a tour in Dubai. As a result, he missed his flight and had to content with wit and brevity to survive through before finding his way home. Now he runs a rehabilitation home.

Only hope

"The only way we can redeem ourselves from this is to face the facts by acting. We have no time left," says Mombasa-based music producer John Chacha, one of the brains behind the recently launched Youth against Drugs campaign.

"We have organised forums like football tournaments and music concerts were youth can meet, exchange views and get counselled as we sphere head the anti-drugs crusade," he adds.

The nationwide campaign is being supported by the Ministry of Youth and Gender, National Campaign against Drug Abuse Authority (Nacada), Standard Group and One FM. The initiative will also see some local celebrities record music with anti-drugs messages that will be distributed to secondary schools at no fee.

The goal for this initiative is to substantially increase the proportion of at risk 12-35 years old with career mobility opportunities, involved in stable interpersonal relationships, and not engaged in risky sexual or drug abuse and consequently help young people make a transition to a productive future.

Big numbers

Injecting Drug Use (IDU) is increasing in Kenya, and is a potentially serious public health problem especially in view of the high HIV/Aids prevalence rates in the country more so at the coastal strip

A United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) study conducted in Kenya several years back found the estimated HIV prevalence among drug users in the target area in Nairobi, Malindi and Mombasa to be between 68 per cent and 88 per cent.

According to modes of transmission, injecting drug use and men having sex with men contributes to the 15 per cent of national incidence on HIV/Aids new prevalence.

According to Nacada, in 2010, over 33 per cent of the Coast population are drug addicts and 17 per cent are hard core users routinely injecting themselves with drugs.

"The youth treat musicians as their icons. They copy so much of what they see us preaching. As much as we are sphere heading the campaign against drugs, we should be at the forefront, leading by example," says award-winning songstress Nyota Ndogo who is part of the Youth against Drugs Campaign.

"It is not for me to mention names. But some celebrities have in the past used their influence and fame to traffic drugs. That tells you that the war starts right with us," she adds.

"It is no longer a question of who supports who in our music industry. One person cannot win this war. We must speak with one voice. We must win the war against drugs especially among the youth," says Size 8, the Shamba Boy hit maker.