In Makuyu shopping centre of Murang’a County, away from the bustle of major highway and urban pressure, a quiet but meaningful change is unfolding in the fight against alcoholism and drug abuse.
Here recovery is no longer just about quitting substance abuse, it is about rebuilding lives, restoring dignity and giving people a reason to believe in tomorrow.
A newly established rehabilitation centre by the name, Ark Star of Hope is challenging the traditional approach to addiction treatment.
Instead of focusing only on detoxification and counselling, the facility has adopted a skills-first recovery model, one that combines therapy with practical vocational training aimed at helping recovering addicts earn a living once they leave the centre.
According to the centre’s director Ms Martha Njeri, the idea is simple but powerful, observing that sobriety is harder to maintain when someone returns to the same hopeless conditions that led them into addiction.
Njeri notes that unemployment, idleness and unresolved mental health struggles often wait on the other side of rehabilitation, quietly undoing months of progress.
“Many relapses happen not because treatment did not work, but because life after treatment is overwhelming,” said the centre’s director.
She continued “When someone has no job, no skills and no sense of purpose, it becomes easy to fall back into old habits. Skills create purpose and purpose sustains recovery.”
At Ark Star of Hope recovery goes hand in hand with learning as the beneficiaries are trained in a range of practical, income-generating activities including agribusiness, poultry keeping, welding, detergent making, basic plumbing and beauty therapy.
The programmes are delivered by qualified professionals, ensuring that trainees do not just learn theory but acquire hands-on skills they can immediately put to use in the real world.
Njeri explained that the centre’s model was shaped by years of engagement with technical training institutions across the Mt Kenya region.
During that period, she encountered many students and professionals silently battling addiction often afraid to seek help because of stigma.
“In Murang’a alone, I met people from all walks of life including teachers, artisans, technicians and even medical practitioners who were struggling.
“Addiction does not discriminate. It affects the educated and the uneducated, the rich and the poor. The difference is who has access to help.” She remarked.
In one case, she helped link a medical professional to treatment, an experience that reinforced her belief that recovery programmes must go beyond stereotypes and address the deeper social and economic realities surrounding addiction.
According to the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA), an estimated 4.7 million Kenyans aged between 15 and 65 use at least one drug or substance.
Alcohol remains the most widely abused affecting about 3.2 million people, while tobacco use stands at roughly 2.3 million.
Despite the scale of the problem, Kenya has just over 230 registered treatment and rehabilitation centres spread across 36 counties, leaving many communities without adequate access to care especially when it comes to post-recovery support.
Njeri argued that without sustainable reintegration strategies, rehabilitation efforts risk becoming short term fixes to long term problems.
The centre director further observed that the impact of the skills-first approach in rehabilitating the addicts is already beginning to bear fruits.
She said recovering addicts who once felt written off are rediscovering their confidence, learning trades and envisioning a future beyond dependency.
“For many, the promise of self-employment or stable work offers something therapy alone cannot, a tangible reason to stay sober.” She noted.
As communities across Murang’a continue to grapple with the social and economic costs of addiction, the model being piloted at Ark Star of Hope is drawing attention as a more human, sustainable path to recovery.
It measures success not only in months of sobriety but in renewed livelihoods, restored self-worth and meaningful reintegration into society.
Government officials have acknowledged the growing challenge and welcomed community-driven initiatives such as the one in Makuyu.
Speaking recently during a public forum, Principal Secretary for public health Mary Muthoni warned that substance abuse remains a serious national concern with worrying trends emerging among women and young people.
She cited a rise in nicotine and shisha use among women saying the government is stepping up prevention and treatment efforts.
The PS noted that plans are underway to establish a regional recovery centre in Nanyuki to serve the wider Mt Kenya region, alongside expanded public education campaigns on the dangers of drug and substance abuse.
By Bernard Munyao
