Chipukeezy promises action on ‘killer’ rehab in Eastleigh
The director of the National Authority for the Campaign Against alcohol Drug Abuse (Nacada) Vincent Muasya aka Chipukeezy is breathing fire after a rehabilitation centre in Eastleigh was exposed for using violence against drug addicts.
According to Chipukeezy, the facility in question, Darushifa Rehabilitation Centre, is not accredited by Nacada and the authorities have been involved to ensure its closure.
The rehab’s unorthodox use of traditional healing medicine in high doses to cure drug addiction was filmed by BBC Africa complete with traditional healers’ comments that the overdose can be fatal.
In the documentary, patients are seen being brutally beaten. Not even the mentally ill are spared from the angry guards’ violence.
UNACCREDITED
Meanwhile, Nacada’s Regulatory Services Manager Judith Twala told BBC that every information given is investigated independently as it could be malicious.
“Any information we get from anybody in regards to rehabs we don’t take it lightly… we have a role as an agency that when charges are made we follow up,” she said.
Chipukeezy in his statement said the rehab centre was unaccredited and would be closed immediately.
“We would like to categorically state that said rehabilitation center was NEVER accredited by NACADA and is this operating outside the law. Secondly, the use of violence, cruelty and inhuman treatment has never been an approved way of drug dependency treatment; it is simply a violation of the right of the affected individuals,” he wrote.