KENYA : The Ministry of Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has mulled the introduction of the National Intelligence Service (NIS) officers to universities, to investigate students who have 'overstayed' in the higher learning Institutions.
Speaking on Thursday, February 13, 2025, during the launch of the report on the state of drugs and substance abuse in universities, Murkomen instructed the inspector general of police Douglas Kanja to consider integrating a multi-agency team within universities.
This Comes after a recent report by the National Authority for the Campaign Against Drugs and Alcohol Abuse (NACADA) revealed a worrying prevalence in drug use universities.
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The NACADA Status of Drugs and Substance Use Among University Students in Kenya report revealed that nearly half of all university students have used a drug or a substance in their lifetime.
The report indicated that friends were the number one source of drugs and substances among university students, followed by canteens and bars in close proximity of the institutions.
Fellow students, support staff and teaching staff were also mentioned as sources of the drugs among websites selling drugs and alcohol within the university.
According to the interior Cs, to curb the drug problem, the Police IG needs to strengthen all the police stations that are operating near the universities with inter-agency efforts.
“In the past, we were told that some of these students are not actually students; they are police officers. Why don’t we go back there IG and make sure that we are having intelligence officers working within the universities and with students to get proper intelligence and interventions in dealing with drugs and substance abuse in these universities.” said Murkomen.
The Interior Cs, equally put on notice career students who he said could be behind the selling of drugs and substances to students while pretending to be actively pursuing their courses.
According to Murkomen, there are Students who have been in 'Varsities forever' but never graduate. He made a reference to University of Nairobi, noting that they hold leadership positions.
“We know students who have been in the university forever. At the University of Nairobi, they have been the previously notorious students who never finish school, are very rich yet they are doing no business, extremely influential and are in the student leadership,” Murkomen noted.
“We must be able to investigate why a student is not leaving school, pretending to finish one course and move to another or delay studies. We must take measures to deal with such students because of the business they are doing around.” he added.
Drugs and Substance Abuse has been an issue especially among the Youth in the Country, with government recently putting in Place measures to curb the menace.
Health Cabinet Secretary Dr. Deborah Barasa recently said that the government is expanding the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) to cover expensive costs of rehabilitating drug addicts who cannot afford the treatment.
“The government is expanding the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) benefit package to include outpatient coverage for the treatment, cessation, and rehabilitation of drug and substance abuse,” said the CS.
She revealed that the expansion would cover the expensive treatment costs, including patients affected by chronic illnesses as a result of drugs and substance use; however, she encouraged on prevention.
“This expansion will eliminate financial barriers and ensure those in need can access the necessary care,” said Barasa.
She noted that increased registration on Taifa Care would attract more funding targeting to ensure Kenyans accessed quality care.
The CS at the same time said that abuse of drugs and substance abuse among the youth had shattered their dreams, hence the need to prevent the menace.
“We commit ourselves to tackling the critical public health challenges of drug and substance abuse. This includes the alarming rise of novel nicotine and emerging tobacco products, which pose a growing threat to the youth,” she said, warning that the use of narcotics had led to health complications.
