The code of conduct for university lecturers has been called into question after a report by the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) identified instructors as individuals who sell drugs to students.
In a recent poll of 15,730 students, NACADA discovered a staggering fact whereby over half of university students, including their instructors, are involved in drug use.
According to the report “Status of Drugs and Substance Use Among University Students in Kenya”, 7 percent of students received drugs from their teachers.
“We were asking them where they get these drugs, and we discovered that the teaching staff supplies them; seven percent of them get the drugs from the teaching staff,” said John Muteti, Director of Research, Standards, and Licensing at NACADA.
NACADA discovered that parents are also not innocent, as some of them are key suppliers of these medicines.
“Imagine how dangerous it would be if the instructor could sell that. We also discovered that parents are supplying these medications. They keep them in the fridge, and students can get them; others go so far as to bring the students along and use the drugs together because the students are older,” Muteti said.
READ ALSO: KNUT, KUPPET in cash crunch as TSC delays remittances
Friends made up 66 percent of the remaining suppliers. The survey also mentions other important sources, such as canteens, bars, and locations near colleges, which account for 59.3 percent of drug availability.
Within universities, fellow students play an important role, supplying drugs to 56 per cent of users, while online purchases via websites and social media account for 39.4 per cent.
One in every two university students in Kenya has used drugs or substances of abuse at some time in their lives, with canteens and bars contributing 28.0 per cent and non-teaching staff accounting for 11.4 percent, according to the research.
NACADA discovered that alcohol is the most often used substance, with a prevalence rate of 40.5 percent, followed by cigarettes (13.4) and shisha (10.9). Cigarettes (64.4), shisha (41.2), vape or e-cigarettes (31.0), nicotine pouches (30.7), kuber (23), and snuff or chewed tobacco (22.1) are among the other commonly available substances.
Among narcotic drugs, smoking cannabis is the most accessible at 61.7 per cent, followed by cannabis edibles (47.6), cocaine (15.1), and heroin at 14.3 per cent. The research also mentions a rising number of cannabis consumables, such as pot cookies, mabuyu, lollipops, and juice.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, who was present at the event, promised that the Ministry would initiate a crackdown on drug use in universities.
By Joseph Mambili
You can also follow our social media pages on Twitter: Education News KE and Facebook: Education News Newspaper for timely updates.
>>> Click here to stay up-to-date with trending regional stories
>>> Click here to read more informed opinions on the country’s education landscape
>>> Click here to stay ahead with the latest national news
