A Kiambu County family has accused Governor Willy Waititu's 'Kaa Sober' initiative of failing to address alcohol addiction after a relative died following his participation in the program.
Gabriel Njuguna, 38, began struggling with alcoholism after relocating to Gakuyu village four years ago, according to his cousin Sabina Wanjiru. She revealed that Njuguna was removed from the program after just one week when staff discovered he used his daily earnings to purchase alcohol.
"They received Sh300 per day for manual labor, but he spent the money on alcohol," Wanjiru stated. Njuguna's mother, Mary Njoki, added that his employment at a shop where alcohol was readily available exacerbated his dependency. "The employer kept alcohol on-site, making it impossible for him to resist," she said, describing how her son died outside the shop after vomiting.
The family criticized the program's design, arguing that daily wages intended for rehabilitation instead enabled continued alcohol consumption. This follows a February 2019 report that Waititu distributed Sh100 million to 5,078 former alcoholics who completed the initiative.
