Wednesday November 2, 2022
By CYRUS OMBATI
They are targeting young Somalis living in the United States and Europe
FILE - Screengrab: Rehab Nightmare: Drugs, Chains and Canes (2018) - BBC Africa Eye documentary
Kenya has partnered with the US government to fight illegal operations of some rehabilitation centres.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations said it had partnered with the United States embassy in Nairobi, Immigration Services and the Office of the Directorate of Public Prosecution to contain the menace.
This is after some of the rehabilitation centres mainly targeting young Somalis living in the United States and Europe were discovered to be holding captive youths brought in for rehabilitation by their kin after becoming drug addicts, alcoholics and generally disobedient.
The rehabs mainly situated in the city’s Eastleigh and Ongata Rongai suburbs style themselves as treatment centres and have turned out to be a nightmare for the youths who are shipped into the country by their parents to ostensibly learn the culture and traditions of their African people.
In one such instance, detectives had in April this year raided a rehabilitation centre in Eastleigh where 10 foreigners were rescued including seven Somali-American citizens, one Dutch, one Canadian and one British national.
Following the raid, the 10 who had been physically abused and were living in inhumane conditions were rescued and reunited with their families.
Further investigations revealed that their kin had tricked them that they were going on safari in Africa, only for them to jet into the country and get whisked from the airport to the centre surrounded by a perimeter wall, an electric fence and a mean-looking disciplinarian.
It is after their arrival at the centres and their travel documents get confiscated that the youths learn that they are not on safari to learn their beautiful culture but a behavior rectification centre where the cane is administered thoroughly
Detectives have been to three such centres in the past rescuing victims held incommunicado, and in order to find a lasting solution, a multisectoral approach has been sought.
At a forum coordinated by the US embassy in Nairobi, that also brought the National Authority for the Campaign against Alcohol and Drugs Abuse (NACADA) on board, the stakeholders committed to ensuring that all legal measures are adhered to in dealing with the vice that is gaining prominence among the Somali community living abroad.
This is after it was established that there existed challenges in a prosecution since witnesses and victims fail to show up to testify, especially after they have been reunited with their families abroad.
DCI’s Serious Crimes Unit has taken lead in arresting this vice and shall be partnering with all stakeholders in ensuring that rehabilitation centres adhere to all legal requirements, failure to which stern legal action shall be taken against defaulters.
DCI Mohamed Amin says he is committed to dealing with all manners of crimes without favour and in strict conformity with the provisions of the law.