- PS Muthoni has flagged new drug smuggling tricks where narcotics are being concealed in pens and perfumes, urging schools and parents to heighten inspections.
- Muthoni stresses that combating drugs in schools requires parents, communities, and government agencies working together.
The State Department of Public Health and Professional Standards has escalated its campaign against drug and substance abuse in learning institutions, with Principal Secretary (PS) Mary Muthoni insisting that keeping narcotics out of schools cannot be left to teachers and school administrators alone.
Speaking as chief guest at Kerugoya Boys High School’s prize-giving day, PS Muthoni said the fight against drug abuse required a collective effort involving parents, the wider community and government agencies working alongside school management, rather than resting solely on the shoulders of institutions.
She flagged a worrying new smuggling tactic in which drugs are being concealed inside biro pens to beat school security checks. “We have received information of drugs being packed in biro pens, let the school administration do a thorough search to deter such characters who think that they can outsmart the institution,” she said, calling for more rigorous inspection of items learners bring onto school compounds.
Muthoni also raised the alarm over another emerging trend in which some learners disguise harmful drugs as perfume, a tactic she said has largely gone unnoticed by both parents and teachers.
“Parents, teachers are not aware that learners have now upgraded to carrying drugs disguised as perfumes, I know the majority are not aware of such, but be alert of such products, parents be on the lookout for such products when your children are at home and always want to know what perfume and where to get it,” she stated, urging households to pay closer attention to unfamiliar products their children bring home.
Muthoni said the Ministry of Health is working closely with the Ministry of Education to ensure that health facilities operating within schools are properly registered with the Social Health Authority (SHA), describing the partnership as a way of bringing quality healthcare closer to learners who are already covered through their parents’ or guardians’ SHA membership.
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She said strengthening these school-linked health services would allow students to access timely medical care without placing additional financial strain on their families, and confirmed that the Health and Education ministries would jointly train teachers and parents on emerging drug abuse trends among learners, noting that traffickers are increasingly disguising narcotic substances as everyday products to evade detection.
Muthoni further emphasised that all health facilities accredited under SHA are barred from charging patients for services covered by the scheme, since the government has already allocated funding to support their operations. She reaffirmed the government’s commitment to strengthening primary healthcare and ensuring every Kenyan has access to affordable, quality health services through the Social Health Authority.
By Jane Mugambi
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