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Kenya has become the first country in East Africa to conduct and launch a comprehensive wastewater-based epidemiology study for drug control, marking a breakthrough in the region’s fight against alcohol and substance abuse. The pioneering report, launched by NACADA, introduces a new scientific approach to detecting drug consumption trends through the analysis of sewage and wastewater samples.
The study, described by experts as a game changer in drug surveillance, involved the collection and laboratory analysis of 152 wastewater samples from 12 hotspot counties, including Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Kiambu, Uasin Gishu, Isiolo, Nyeri, Kilifi and Garissa. Scientists used advanced techniques such as Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS), UV-Vis Spectrophotometry and colourimetric testing to identify traces of illicit drugs and psychoactive substances in municipal sewer systems.
The report revealed worrying shifts in Kenya’s drug landscape, including the growing use of synthetic drugs and New Psychoactive Substances (NPS). Among the substances detected were methamphetamine, MDMA (ecstasy), synthetic cathinones commonly known as ‘bath salts’, benzofurans, alpha-ethyltryptamine, psilocybin and DMT. The findings also pointed to possible clandestine laboratories involved in the local production of synthetic stimulants.
NACADA Chief Executive Officer Anthony Omerikwa termed the findings alarming, saying the country is witnessing a rapid evolution in drug use patterns. He noted that Kenya can no longer be viewed merely as a transit route for narcotics but is increasingly showing indicators of local manufacture and consumption of synthetic substances. This study provides concrete evidence that synthetic drugs and new psychoactive substances are gaining a foothold in our communities. We must move beyond traditional plant-based drug enforcement and urgently establish a National Wastewater Drug Surveillance and Early Warning System.
The study further established that many illicit drugs being consumed in the country are heavily adulterated with dangerous chemicals. Heroin samples were found mixed with caffeine, diazepam, chloroquine and dextromethorphan, while cocaine samples contained levamisole and ketamine, substances associated with severe toxicity and increased overdose risks. Researchers also noted rising cases of polydrug use, where users combine heroin with cannabis or alcohol with prescription sedatives such as Rohypnol.
Another notable finding was the emergence of cannabis edibles, particularly ‘weed cookies’, among young people, reflecting changing drug consumption habits similar to trends observed in Europe and North America. The report also indicated increasing abuse of prescription medicines among students and young adults aged between 13 and 25 years.
In response to the findings, NACADA recommended the establishment of a National Wastewater Drug Surveillance and Early Warning System to enable real-time monitoring of emerging drug trends. The Authority also called for strengthened forensic and toxicology capacity, enhanced border and online drug trafficking surveillance, establishment of an adulterant alert system, expansion of naloxone distribution programmes, and intensified public awareness campaigns targeting youth and vulnerable populations.
The launch of the report positions Kenya as a regional leader in evidence-based drug control and provides a scientific foundation for more targeted interventions, policy formulation and public health responses in the fight against substance abuse across East Africa.
The writer is the Deputy Director of Corporate Communications at NACADA
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The study, described by experts as a game changer in drug surveillance, involved the collection and laboratory analysis of 152 wastewater samples from 12 hotspot counties, including Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Kiambu, Uasin Gishu, Isiolo, Nyeri, Kilifi and Garissa. Scientists used advanced techniques such as Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS), UV-Vis Spectrophotometry and colourimetric testing to identify traces of illicit drugs and psychoactive substances in municipal sewer systems.
The report revealed worrying shifts in Kenya’s drug landscape, including the growing use of synthetic drugs and New Psychoactive Substances (NPS). Among the substances detected were methamphetamine, MDMA (ecstasy), synthetic cathinones commonly known as ‘bath salts’, benzofurans, alpha-ethyltryptamine, psilocybin and DMT. The findings also pointed to possible clandestine laboratories involved in the local production of synthetic stimulants.
NACADA Chief Executive Officer Anthony Omerikwa termed the findings alarming, saying the country is witnessing a rapid evolution in drug use patterns. He noted that Kenya can no longer be viewed merely as a transit route for narcotics but is increasingly showing indicators of local manufacture and consumption of synthetic substances. This study provides concrete evidence that synthetic drugs and new psychoactive substances are gaining a foothold in our communities. We must move beyond traditional plant-based drug enforcement and urgently establish a National Wastewater Drug Surveillance and Early Warning System.
The study further established that many illicit drugs being consumed in the country are heavily adulterated with dangerous chemicals. Heroin samples were found mixed with caffeine, diazepam, chloroquine and dextromethorphan, while cocaine samples contained levamisole and ketamine, substances associated with severe toxicity and increased overdose risks. Researchers also noted rising cases of polydrug use, where users combine heroin with cannabis or alcohol with prescription sedatives such as Rohypnol.
Another notable finding was the emergence of cannabis edibles, particularly ‘weed cookies’, among young people, reflecting changing drug consumption habits similar to trends observed in Europe and North America. The report also indicated increasing abuse of prescription medicines among students and young adults aged between 13 and 25 years.
In response to the findings, NACADA recommended the establishment of a National Wastewater Drug Surveillance and Early Warning System to enable real-time monitoring of emerging drug trends. The Authority also called for strengthened forensic and toxicology capacity, enhanced border and online drug trafficking surveillance, establishment of an adulterant alert system, expansion of naloxone distribution programmes, and intensified public awareness campaigns targeting youth and vulnerable populations.
The launch of the report positions Kenya as a regional leader in evidence-based drug control and provides a scientific foundation for more targeted interventions, policy formulation and public health responses in the fight against substance abuse across East Africa.
The writer is the Deputy Director of Corporate Communications at NACADA
By Simon Mwangi