Letters

Letters

Recovering drug addicts can help boost Nacada’s efforts

The approach taken by the National Agency for the Campaign Against Drugs (Nacada) in the fight against alcoholism and substance abuse is misdirected. Nacada lost direction when it took up non-core issues to address the battle against these two grave vices.

 Strict licensing of bars and enforcing drinking hours cannot curb alcoholism and substance abuse.

Nacada must understand that closing bars cannot also stop the craving for alcohol; neither can it stop an addict from laying his hands on his drug of choice.

For instance, chang’aa and marijuana are most abused, but have been illegal all along. In most cases, the presence of a Nacada official at the doorsteps of a licensed bar yields instant “pocket” money.

The proven mode of fighting drug and alcohol abuse lies in borrowing from the tried and tested Alcoholics Anonymous operation’s tactics.

Whereas I appreciate efforts being made to fight addiction, there is need to employ practical and workable methods to manage the vice.

It is obvious that medical doctors have not been successful in combating the problem. However, approaching the issue from a medical perspective only will not yield the desired results.

In addition, threats that seem to be Nacada’s main weapon have neither succeeded nor realised any encouraging results. This is not to say medics do not play a role, but to simply acknowledge that recovering addicts are the ones who hold the key to addressing the scourge that is drug and alcohol abuse.

Too much theory does not capture the working ways of an addict. This therefore makes any attempt to fight this vice minus addicts’ participation, an exercise in futility. Some of these addicts have taken to drinking at odd hours, in all sorts of places, including at home, in their cars and even in offices.

No one understands the working of the mind of an addict like that of a fellow addict.

Therefore, it is important to appreciate that one cannot fight alcoholism without directly engaging the addicts.

It is critical to know how addicts operate: how they access their drugs of choice: their drug sources and distribution patterns.

These are not taught in any college but are well known to addicts. Nacada should recruit recovering addicts into the programme and have them trained to improve their ability to deliver desirable results.

Recovering Alcoholic, Via Email

 

Why ‘reformers’ will stand tall in polls

The forthcoming General Election will not be a contest between ‘performers’ and ‘non-performers’ as a section of politicians have alleged. They will also not be between the ‘young’ and the ‘old’ as some politicians have been heard to say.

Performance can only be measured in an even playing ground that Kenya lacks at the moment. There are evidently no equal opportunities for everyone to compete in what can be described as a free and fair political, social and economic landscape. Some individuals are at the moment more equal than others. Again, age will not be a factor since it is sectarian and may deny senior capable Kenyans from achieving their potential.

Responsible and progressive citizens cannot perform effectively and achieve their full potential in a rocky and uneven playing ground. An environment lacking basic social, political, economic and spiritual reforms may only favour the politically advantaged and the crooked who shamelessly corrupt their ways to get what they want and later parade their ‘acquisitions’ as performance.

Therefore the corrupt and the politically advantaged cannot boast that they have been performers without first disclosing the source of their wealth. Of course there are ‘real performers’ in the true sense of the word: but they are a minority and they rarely parade their wares. What Kenya needs are reforms that will afford everyone an equal opportunity not based on one’s ethnicity, political affiliation or sycophancy but on free and competitive institutions.

David Sonye, Rarieda

 

Protect local workers’ rights too

The International Labour Organisation estimates there are over 100 million domestic workers worldwide. Locally, domestic workers are estimated to be just over two million.

Recently, the Government banned Kenyans from traveling to the Middle East for domestic work and suspended recruiting agencies from recruiting domestic workers to these countries.

This follows a spate of  violation of labour and human rights of workers.

Ironically, the same challenges face local domestic workers. The Government should also intervene on their behalf.

Edward Kahuthia, Nairobi

 

Part time lecturers diluting quality of varsity education

The education sector has witnessed unprecedented growth of institutions of higher learning. Myriad universities have opened up satellite colleges in strategic locations. The accelerated growth is partly due to demand of university degrees by employers and the prestige placed on degree holders.

To meet their need, universities have resorted to engaging lecturers on part time basis. The adjunct teaching staff who hop from one university to the other, are often hurriedly hired to fill gaps where there is acute shortage of lecturers.

For some, it has become a lucrative venture, more so if one can get as many teaching hours as possible. The lecturers simply walk into a class with sketchy notes; engage the students hastily and off to the next college to duplicate the same notes. The result is half-baked graduates. Even so the Commission for Higher Education continues to allow the existing colleges to expand. But do they consider where the teaching staff will come from? There is a glaring scarcity of tutors – some lecturers attend only two or three classes in a semester. One wonders, what they base their examinations on.

Universities must desist from viewing education as an avenue to exploit citizens in need of academic growth.

Part time lecturer, Via Email

 

Bravo to clerics for fighting terrorism

Muslim and Christian clerics have promised to join hands to fight terrorism. This is after a grenade was hurled at worshippers in a Garissa church two weeks ago, leaving several people dead and countless others injured.

Many have argued that Muslims engineered the attacks, considering that this was not the first time worshippers in church had been attacked. It is for this reason that Muslims have promised to join police officers to guard churches during Sunday services. The two groups have also decided to hold monthly meetings. Muslims and Christians should emulate their leaders, since everyone is affected by terrorism.

David Mwaura, Maseno University