NACADA shut down a widely sought after rehabilitation centre in Meru after uncovering harrowing abuse, neglect, and illegal detention of patients.
A multi-agency inspection revealed minors facing torture, severe overcrowding, lack of food, and no medical professionals in the facility.The centre’s manager was arrested, the owner is being pursued, and patients were rescued and placed under police protection.
A major crackdown by the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) led to the closure of Better Me Rehabilitation Centre. NACADA shut down the Beter Me rehab centre in Meru due to unfavourable operating conditions.
This was after after shocking revelations of abuse, neglect, and serious violations of patient rights. The early morning raid was carried out by a multi-agency team involving NACADA, the Public Health Department, the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC), and the National Police Service (NPS).
It followed multiple complaints from concerned members of the public. Was Better Me rehab centre torturing minors? The inspection exposed disturbing conditions inside the facility.
Minors were found subjected to inhumane treatment, including torture, while others endured severe overcrowding and a lack of basic necessities. Patients were forced to sleep on cold floors with only worn-out blankets, with food and medical care grossly inadequate.
Authorities further established that the centre had no qualified medical staff or counsellors, leaving patients exposed to both health and psychological dangers. Even more alarming, some individuals had been detained in the facility for more than a year, locked inside and denied their fundamental rights.
The unhygienic environment was flagged as a public health risk not only to the patients but to the wider community. Meru’s Better Me rehab centre manager arrested Following the findings, NACADA ordered the immediate shutdown of the centre.
All patients were rescued and placed temporarily under protective custody at Meru Police Station, where their families are expected to collect them. The centre’s manager, Thomas Edwin, and one staff member were arrested during the operation, while the owner, Kelvin Ouko, is being pursued by police.
The matter has since been handed to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Meru for further inquiry and prosecution. NACADA CEO Anthony Omerikwa condemned the revelations, warning rogue rehabilitation operators that they would be dealt with firmly.
“We will not allow unscrupulous individuals to exploit the pain of families and the vulnerability of people struggling with substance use disorders. Operating unlicensed facilities under such deplorable conditions is not only illegal but deeply immoral. NACADA, together with our partners, will intensify nationwide inspections, and those found in violation will face the full force of the law,” Omerikwa said. NACADA to roll out community-based rehabilitation framework.
He also announced the rollout of NACADA’s Community-Based Rehabilitation Framework, a new initiative designed to strengthen treatment and aftercare at the grassroots level.
“Our goal is to ensure a proper continuum of care for persons with drug use disorders. Through this framework, we will work with communities to provide safe, professional, and accessible rehabilitation options, ending the suffering caused by rogue operators,” he added.
Omerikwa said the closure of the centre serves as a strong warning that the government and its partners will not hesitate to act against unlicensed facilities that compromise human dignity and exploit vulnerable individuals. The deplorable condition of facilities at Better Me Rehab Centre that was closed by NACADA.
Why Did NACADA shut down a rehab centre in Kajiado? In May, TUKO.co.ke reported that NACADA closed the Better Me Options Rehabilitation Centre in Birikani, Kajiado East, after an inspection exposed unsafe conditions. The raid found that the facility was running without qualified medical staff, had no clean running water, and was using isolation rooms inspectors described as “unfit for human habitation.”
Among the issues highlighted were poor medical waste disposal, neglected infrastructure, and patients being held beyond the recommended treatment period without family notification or proper clinical reviews.
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