Andrew Githui

🧵 We rolled into West Pokot – and the message was clear: No to drugs, yes to life. Day 1 | Caravan Roadshow – West Pokot 📍 Covered: Makutano, Mathare, Mawingo Rd, Kishaunet, Livestock Market, Keringet, Murkwijit, Talau. We: ✅ Sensitized residents & students ✅ Engaged alcohol den hotspots ✅ Promoted sober Easter holidays ✅ Told parents: lead by example Key message: Stay sober. Choose health. We also announced the West Pokot County Office – now open to serve you. Together, we rise. 💙

🧵 We didn’t just run 21km. We sent a message. Yesterday | Busia/Uganda Border Our Busia/Bungoma County Coordination Office joined the Annual Easter Cross-Border Half Marathon – theme: Suppressing cross-border illicit/counterfeit alcohol & drug trafficking 🚫🍾 We ran to: 🏃 Raise awareness 🤝 Unite communities 🧠 Remind traffickers: We’re watching Together, Kenya & Uganda say NO to illicit brews. Sobriety has no borders. Neither does our resolve.

🧵 We traded boardrooms for football boots – and the message connected. Yokot Primary School, Kamariny Ward, Keiyo North Our Elgeyo Marakwet County Coordination Office joined the Emmanuel Kiplimo Foundation youth football tournament. 🏆 Theme: "Kick Out Drugs, Score the Future" We told the youth: ⚽ Sports = structured holidays ⚽ Team spirit = positive peer pressure ⚽ Less idleness = lower risk We also explained: 🧠 Drug use progression is a disease – and prevention works. 📞 Toll-free number shared. Lifeskills taught. Futures protected. Let’s keep scoring. 🥅🚫🍻

🧵 We sat with youth in Mtopanga – and the conversation was honest, raw, and necessary. Cornerstone Worship Centre, Mombasa Our Mombasa County Coordination Office engaged young people on: 🧠 What drugs are 📚 Types & effects of substances 💉 Modes of administration 🛑 Staying alert during Easter holidays We didn't lecture. We listened. And we shared the 1192 helpline – confidential support, always open. Holidays = more free time. Our job = making sure that time isn't filled with risky choices.

🧵 We're not here to ruin the holiday mood. We're here to protect your child. Holiday time = bonding time. ✅ We advise parents: 📋 Create a daily routine ⏰ Structure reduces idleness 🛡️ Less idle time = less risk of substance exposure You don't need to be rigid. Just present. Bond. Structure. Protect.

🧵 We don't just talk about collaboration. We sit at the table and build it. Today | Marsabit County We met with the Deputy Governor to discuss: 🤝 Partnership on ADA matters 📢 Public awareness & prevention 👥 Youth & community leader engagement 📊 Coordinated action County-wide Result? Full commitment to a multi-sectoral approach. Marsabit is ready. So are we.

🧵 We inspect so families can trust. Earlier today | Eldoret Our Uasin-Gishu & Nandi Counties Coordination team inspected newly established treatment & rehab centres. We assessed: 🏥 Compliance with national SUDs standards ✅ Safety & quality 🛡️ Patient dignity & rights Substandard care is not an option.

🧵 We're not whispering about drugs. We're talking – early, often, and openly. Parents: 🗣️ Talk about alcohol & drugs 👂 Listen more than you lecture 📅 Start early. Don't stop. Why? Informed children = safer choices. Silence doesn't protect them. Conversations do.

🧵 We're not saying your child's friends are the problem. We're saying: not knowing them is. Parents: 👥 Know the circle 🔍 Be aware of who they spend time with 🧠 Peer influence drives substance use – fact Our advice: Meet the friends. Ask questions. Stay curious. Involvement > Investigation.

🧵 We're not in their phone to spy. We're in their business to protect. Parents: 📱 Be present – offline & online 👀 Regularly check activities 🛡️ Supervision = prevention Why? Risks don't take holidays. Neither should your awareness. Ask. Watch. Stay curious.

🧵 We're at Machakos School – debating peace, defending drug-free minds. Our Machakos Coordination office is participating in the Amani Clubs' National Debating for Peace Championship. Our message from the floor: 🕊️ "Peace begins in a mind that is clear, and clarity grows in a life free from drugs." A drug-free mind = inner peace = stronger future. Let them debate. We'll keep reminding them why clarity matters.

We went to the border – because drugs don't check maps, and neither do we. Earlier today | Mlango Centre, Kapseret Sub-County our Uasin-Gishu/Nandi Counties Coordination team at a public baraza: 📍 Uasin-Gishu-Nandi border 📢 Sensitizing the public 📘 Disseminating national school guidelines 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Strengthening parental responsibility 🤝 Building coordinated community response Border communities = no blind spots.

🧵 We can lecture all day. But they're watching what we do at night. Parents: 👀 Children learn from what they see ✅ Practice healthy habits 🧠 Model responsible decision-making Actions > words. Be the example you want them to follow.

🧵 We're not here to entertain them 24/7. We're here to point them toward purpose. Parents: ⚽ Sports 🎨 Creative arts 🤝 Community activities Why? Boredom = risk. Engagement = protection. Keep them busy. Keep them safe.

🧵 We're not saying you need a perfect family. We're saying you need present ones. Parents: 🎲 Game nights 🌳 Outings 🍽️ Shared meals Why? Strong family bonds = less likelihood of substance use. Connection is prevention.

NACADA has endorsed a proposal to raise the legal drinking age from 18 to 21 years.

🚨 FROM HOTSPOT TO HOPE SPOT. Earlier today, our Uasin-Gishu & Nandi Counties Coordination Team and key stakeholders took the message straight to the source. 🎯 We convened at Illula Dam, Kapsoya (a known hotspot for drug & substance abuse) for a youth-focused sensitization forum. ✅ Advancing awareness ✅ Informed decision-making ✅ Coordinated community action The goal? Positive behavioral change. A drug-free society. 💪🏾

NACADA Chief Executive Officer Anthony Omerikwa has said that the Authority’s high-level sensitisation training for principal magistrates and senior judicial officers is aimed at strengthening judicial understanding of addiction and promoting a shift from purely punitive justice to rehabilitative approaches. #starkenyanews

🧵 We don't leave room for "I didn't know." That's the point. Parents: 📏 Set clear rules about alcohol & drugs ✅ Firm but fair ⚠️ Explain consequences upfront No surprises. No confusion. Just protection.