Patients at a rehabilitation centre in Meru County were discovered starving and forced to sleep on the floor during a raid conducted by the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA).
The National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) raided a rehabilitation centre in Meru County on September 24 following public complaints, leading to its indefinite closure.
As part of a wider national crackdown, the facility was accused of neglect, misuse, and gross violations of patients’ rights.
Meru Rehab Centre Under Fire After NACADA Uncovers Harsh Living Conditions. Photo: Courtesy.
According to NACADA, patients were found starving, denied medical care, and crammed into overcrowded, unsanitary conditions that posed serious health risks.
NACADA went on to reveal that others were forced to sleep on the floor with thorn blankets and majority have not had access to doctors and counselors.
Moreover, authorities learned that the centre had locked some patients inside the facility for over 1 year denying them contact with families.
NACADA Chief Executive Officer Anthony Omerikwa cautioned rehabilitation centres operating without licenses, warning that unlawful facilities would face strict action.
During the Meru raid, the centre’s manager and staff members were arrested, while the facility’s owner remains at large.
The Meru Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has since taken over the probe.
NACADA further confirmed that all patients were rescued and placed under temporary care at the Meru Police Station, as efforts to reunite them with their families continue.
