By V, KNA
Religious leaders and Imams in Baringo County have been urged to incorporate messages on addiction to alcohol and drug abuse in their sermons to boost government efforts in the fight against the menace.
The County NACADA Coordinator Edward Chelanga reiterated that the war against adulterated killer alcohol will not be won by the national and county governments without the input of the clergy.
“It is disheartening to note that many families have lost young and energetic men to the silent killer drinks. The community is facing bleak future as a generation is being lost not because of sickness, accidents but contaminated alcohol sold by unscrupulous people. Those luck to survive have become zombies,” he observed.
Mr Chelanga also asked the church ministers to accommodate members addicted to alcohol and drug abuse instead of excommunicating them.
Speaking during a one-day inaugural sensitization meeting that brought together 45 interreligious leaders drawn from Baringo Central Sub County at a Kabarnet hotel on Tuesday, Chelanga stated that addicted members of religious groupings like churches and mosques need to be counselled and rehabilitated by respective spiritual leaders because their conditions are reversible.
The NACADA County official expressed the need for religious leaders to work closely with the state anti-narcotics agency in the fight against alcohol and drug abuse menace which continue to derail socio-economic gains made by the Kenya Kwanza administration headed by President Dr William Rutto.
“Collaboration between Nacada and religious leaders on prevention and management of alcohol and drug abuse is very crucial in every society and that is why we have to work with them,” said the county Nacada Coordinator.
Chelanga expressed his pleasure that during the meeting, the local religious leaders agreed to work mutually with Nacada by utilizing events they officiate like weddings and burials to engage members of the public on importance of having a society which is free from people addicted to the use of alcohol and drugs.
“We equipped the religious leaders with skills on how to help those in addiction by using their basic spiritual skills like counseling. We also told them to be free to refer some of their affected members to rehabilitation centres like Sobon in Eldama Ravine town which is privately owned,” he said.
During the sensitization meeting, Chelanga encouraged the clergy leaders to actively engage in public participation forums discussing on regulation and liquor licensing noting that their voice is vital before a determination was made by the set committee.
He said liquor licensing is a legal exercise which will help the government to regulate production and sale of the substances provided that business persons engaging in the trade dully comply with the set laws and public health regulations like license on Food and Hygiene.
“Failure to allow vendors to operate licensed liquor premises in towns and trading centres is like encouraging an upsurge of unregulated illicit brews which are not licensed by KEBS.
During the first ever NACADA sensitization meeting for religious leaders held in Baringo Central, the spiritual leaders were represented by Bishop Joshua Cheptarus of Full Gospel Churches of Kenya (FGCK) and National Government Administrative Officials plus the Sub-county administrator Geoffrey Kimaiyo.