Kiambu MP Machua Waithaka has called for a stronger multi-agency campaign against alcohol and substance abuse, saying the fight must go beyond arrests and enforcement to include prevention, counselling, rehabilitation and sustained community engagement.
Mr Waithaka spoke after his team joined Kiambu County Commissioner George Matundura and other stakeholders for an Alcohol and Drug Prevention Awareness Walk from Kirigiti to the Kiambu Town Bus Stage.
The campaign brought together county government officials, chiefs, Assistant County Commissioner Caleb Nyongesa, lobby groups led by Nkatha Mwenda, residents and other stakeholders in an effort to raise awareness about the dangers posed by alcohol and substance abuse, particularly among young people.
Mr Waithaka said the scale of the challenge required communities and government agencies to work together instead of leaving the responsibility entirely to enforcement officers.
“The fight against alcoholism and substance abuse cannot be left to enforcement agencies alone. It requires prevention, awareness, counselling, rehabilitation and sustained community involvement,” he said.
The MP said prevention must be accompanied by practical interventions that address some of the social and psychological challenges facing young people.
He pointed to the Ndumberi Jitume ICT Hub, where his office has employed a professional counsellor on a full-time basis to provide counselling and psychosocial support to young people.
The counsellor, he said, would help young people navigate challenges, rebuild confidence and develop the resilience needed to pursue their ambitions despite difficult circumstances.
“We must help our young people understand that their current circumstances do not have to determine their future,” Mr Waithaka said.
The MP also turned his attention to counterfeit and illicit alcoholic products, calling for stronger accountability among agencies responsible for standards, consumer protection, enforcement and the fight against counterfeiting.
He said Parliament had a role to play in ensuring that regulatory agencies provide timely and credible information on products suspected to be counterfeit or illicit.
Mr Waithaka said he had prepared a Statement in the National Assembly seeking the intervention of the Speaker and the summoning of heads of relevant regulatory agencies, including the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS).
He wants the agencies to provide results of tests conducted on suspected counterfeit and illicit alcoholic products within 24 hours, where such results are already available.
The proposed intervention, according to the MP, is intended to strengthen accountability and ensure that scientific evidence informs enforcement action against manufacturers and distributors of dangerous alcoholic products.
He said products scientifically established to be counterfeit, adulterated or otherwise non-compliant should be subjected to the full force of the law, with those responsible held accountable.
The campaign comes amid continued concern over the impact of alcohol and substance abuse on families and communities, with stakeholders increasingly emphasising prevention and rehabilitation alongside enforcement.
Mr Waithaka said the community also had an important role to play by reporting harmful practices, supporting people seeking rehabilitation and protecting young people from exposure to substance abuse.
He said the awareness walk was therefore not simply a public demonstration but part of a wider effort to mobilise residents and institutions around prevention.
The MP reaffirmed his commitment to initiatives targeting young people and strengthening community development, saying his office would continue pursuing practical interventions alongside legislative action.
