NACADA Shuts Down Illegal Better Me Rehab Facility in Isiolo After Reports of Torture, Neglect

Nairobi, Kenya — September 26, 2025 (EAT).

The National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA), in a joint raid with health and regulatory agencies, has closed down a Better Me Rehabilitation Centre in Isiolo County following shocking discoveries of abuse, neglect, and human rights violations.

The Latest

• The facility was raided after receiving multiple complaints from patients’ relatives and the public. 

• Inspectors found a minor who had allegedly been tortured, patients locked in overcrowded rooms, sleeping on the floor, denied basic necessities, and detained for periods exceeding one year. 

• The center operated with no qualified medical or counseling staff, having only two untrained interns and a security guard. 

• Hygiene conditions were reported to be dire, exposing patients to infection and disease, with mattresses missing and blankets in poor condition.

• Patients have been released to their guardians, and those remaining—eight reportedly—were given a deadline to be collected. 

Context & Pattern of Crackdowns

• The closure comes just a day after a similar Better Me facility in Meru County was shut down for identical violations, including illegal detention, torture, and neglect. 

• Earlier in May 2025, another Better Me center in Birikani, Kajiado East was closed after inspectors found isolation rooms “unfit for human habitation,” no competent staff, and extended holding of patients. 

• NACADA’s CEO, Dr. Anthony Omerikwa, has warned that such rogue rehabilitation centers will be rooted out through a nationwide crackdown and called for stricter regulatory oversight.

Law, Policy & Accountability

• NACADA has the mandate under Kenya’s laws to license, monitor, and enforce standards for rehabilitation centres to ensure patient safety, rights, and quality care.

• The Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) and Public Health Department participated in the raid, fulfilling their roles in regulating medical standards and public health safety.

• The shutdown demonstrates that facilities operating without license or in breach of standards can face legal consequence, including closure and possible criminal prosecution.

Risks, Implications & What to Watch

Risks & Implications

• Patients in illegal rehab centres run the risk of abuse, neglect, and exposure to disease and harm — especially vulnerable groups such as minors.

• The reputational damage to Kenya’s rehab and substance abuse treatment system if such facilities continue unchecked.

• Erosion of public trust in private rehabilitation facilities, pushing demand toward properly licensed centers, straining those systems.

What to Watch

• Whether criminal prosecution or disciplinary action will be pursued against the owners and operators of the facility.

• How NACADA, county governments, and health agencies will strengthen oversight and enforcement to prevent recurrence.

• Implementation of NACADA’s promised Community-Based Rehabilitation Framework, aimed at providing safer, regulated care closer to communities.

• Monitoring of similar unlicensed centers across other counties — whether they will be inspected and closed.