NACADA calls on religious leaders to champion hope and combat addiction
By Faith Lagat, November 17, 2025The National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) has called on religious leaders across Kenya to champion hope and healing in the fight against addiction.
In an X post dated November 17, 2025, NACADA highlighted the power of faith during the holiday season, stating, “Addiction speaks a language of despair. This holiday season, let our faith speak a louder language of hope.”
The authority emphasised the role of spiritual leaders as “trusted voices” in Kenyan communities.
It outlined key actions for them, including: “Shatter the stigma,Offer compassionate guidance, and Point the way to healthy, drug-free living.”
- Shatter the stigma
- Offer compassionate guidance
- Point the way to healthy, drug-free living
NACADA further noted, “A single sermon can be the lifeline a struggling family needs to find healing and wholeness,” underscoring the potential of faith-based platforms in supporting individuals battling substance abuse.
Government backs faith-led initiatives
NACADA’s appeal aligns with recent government efforts to engage religious institutions in promoting moral guidance. On November 13, 2025, Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Musalia Mudavadi addressed clerics from the Inter-Religious Council of Kenya, led by Bishop Geoffrey Njuguna of Deliverance Church International, Lang’ata, and SUPKEM Chairman @OleNaado.
“To build and sustain a just, virtuous, and morally upright nation, we must stand together in shaping a society grounded in faith, integrity, and shared values,” Mudavadi said.
“Our religious leaders hold a unique and powerful responsibility to use the pulpits, mosques, temples, and other places of worship to speak a word of truth, hope, and transformation.”
Guiding youth and protecting Kenyans abroad
Mudavadi highlighted the pressing need to guide Kenyan youth amid growing global risks, including online fraud, illegal cryptocurrency trading, forced labour, human trafficking, organ harvesting, and money laundering.
“During a meeting with clerics from the Inter-Religious Council of Kenya, I called upon faith leaders to use their influence to guide the nation, especially the youth, toward rediscovering their moral compass and purpose,” he said.
He also raised concerns over young Kenyan women in the Middle East facing strict religious laws, noting, “Equally concerning are cases of young women giving birth out of wedlock in parts of the Middle East, where strict religious laws have compelled the government to conduct over 700 DNA tests and facilitate deportations of mothers and their infants. These are heartbreaking realities that call for stronger moral guidance at home and abroad.”
Mudavadi urged clerics to use their institutions to cultivate a God-fearing nation, ensuring young people develop respect, mentorship, and values-driven citizenship. The religious leaders pledged to collaborate with the government in this effort, forming a unified front against addiction and moral decay.