NACADA: 4.7 million Kenyans use drugs, Mombasa records highest substance abuse rate

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Kenya has stepped up efforts against drug abuse and illicit trafficking amid warnings that rising substance use among young people is now becoming a national crisis. 

The alert came during this year’s International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking (IDADA) commemorations at the Miritini Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre in Mombasa, held under the theme “World Drug Problem: Persisting Issues, New Challenges, Innovative Responses.”

Government officials, anti-drug agencies, community leaders and rehabilitation advocates urged collective action.

A recent National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) survey estimates about 4.7 million Kenyans aged 15–65 currently use at least one drug or substance. 

?? IDADA 2026: Renewing Our Commitment to a Drug-Free World

A message from our Board Chair @MairoriSte77864 as we mark the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking (IDADA) 2026, let us renew our commitment to addressing the world drug problem through… pic.twitter.com/bjeRxaRHoO

— NACADA Kenya (@NACADAKenya) June 26, 2026

The Coast recorded the highest prevalence at 29.3 percent, with Mombasa County the most affected at 34.4 percent. 

Principal Secretary for Internal Security and National Administration Raymond Omollo called the figures alarming, stressing they represent real people whose lives can be lost to addiction or restored through timely intervention.

Officials outlined an effective strategy combining law enforcement, prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and social reintegration. 

“Enforcement remains critical, but it is only one part of the solution,” Omollo said. The renewed crackdown follows the seizure of 1,024 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine valued at Sh8.2 billion in the Indian Ocean, which is one of Kenya’s largest narcotics interceptions. 

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen vowed intensified pursuits of traffickers through improved intelligence and inter-agency cooperation.

NACADA Board Chairman Bishop Dr Stephen Mairori highlighted new monitoring tools, including wastewater analysis to track drug consumption trends in near real-time. 

The agency also launched a national essay competition for secondary students to foster youth engagement and discourage drug abuse, with Omar Mohamed of Kongowea Secondary School being recognised for an essay on the role of parents and communities in protecting learners from drugs.