Public Health Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni has called on churches, families, and grassroots leaders in Kirinyaga to step up in tackling drug abuse, poor hygiene, and collapsing family values, warning that these issues are eroding the country’s social foundation.
Addressing clergy and residents at Kiangwaci shopping centre in Ndia constituency, the PS said preventive healthcare and strong family structures must remain at the heart of community life if Kenya is to build a resilient and prosperous future.
She singled out the rising use of alcohol, tobacco, shisha, and e-cigarettes among the youth, describing the trend as a ticking time bomb. Muthoni reminded the public that shisha and e-cigarettes remain outlawed in Kenya, further cautioning that secondary smoke poses an even greater danger than direct smoking.
“Tobacco is a costly and silent killer. We must enforce zero tolerance in our homes, schools, and public spaces,” she warned.
The PS urged parents to closely monitor their children, while instructing public health officers to strictly enforce the Tobacco Control Act of 2007, which bans smoking in public, restricts alcohol and cigarette advertising, and prohibits entertainment spots from operating near schools.
Ndia Assistant County Commissioner Dorothy Mwenda echoed the PS’s remarks, linking drug and substance abuse to rising cases of gender-based violence in families. She assured residents that the government, through NACADA, local administrators, and faith leaders, was intensifying efforts to stamp out the menace.
