Eight foreign nationals have been rescued from an illegally operated rehabilitation centre in Kajiado County following a multi-agency dawn operation which uncovered an unlicensed facility allegedly holding patients against their will and violating their fundamental rights.
The operation, spearheaded by the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA), targeted the Ehsan Rehabilitation Centre. The centre had been operating for six months without the mandatory accreditation required to provide rehabilitation services in Kenya.
Among those rescued were five United States citizens, two Canadians, and one British national.
The raid involved officers from NACADA, the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC), County Public Health, the National Police Service, and officials from the American Embassy in Nairobi.
Investigators identified serious deficiencies in patient care, including prolonged stays without documented clinical justification, treatment reviews, or discharge plans. Authorities also established that the facility lacked a structured rehabilitation programme, falling significantly below national standards for addiction treatment.
NACADA Chief Executive Officer Dr. Anthony Omerikwa condemned the alleged unlawful detention of patients, emphasising that rehabilitation must always uphold human dignity and the rule of law.
“Rehabilitation is a voluntary, therapeutic process founded on respect for human dignity, individual rights, and professional standards of care. The involuntary detention of clients, including foreign nationals, without lawful authority or due process is unacceptable.”
He added that rehabilitation centres should provide treatment, not confinement.
“Rehabilitation facilities are places of healing and recovery, not detention centres.”Dr Omerikwa said even as he warned that the Government would take firm action against facilities violating patients’ rights.
“No person seeking help for substance use disorders should be unlawfully deprived of their liberty. Whether Kenyan or foreign, every client deserves to be treated with dignity, compassion, and in accordance with the law.” he said
He said any rehabilitation centre found unlawfully detaining clients or operating outside regulatory requirements would face legal and administrative sanctions.
The multi-agency team has recommended the immediate closure of the Ehsan Rehabilitation Centre. Law enforcement agencies have launched investigations to establish criminal liability against those responsible for operating the facility.
The latest operation is part of NACADA’s intensified crackdown on rogue rehabilitation centres. The Authority has repeatedly warned that many facilities continue to operate without accreditation, exposing vulnerable patients to unsafe and unlawful treatment practices.
According to NACADA, the rescue sends a clear message that rehabilitation services in Kenya must comply with professional standards, respect patients’ rights, and operate within the law.
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