‘Prevention is better than rehabilitation’, this was the main message during the 2026 Alcohol Prevention Awareness Walk.
The walk organized by Blue Cross Kenya and other partners on September 19, is an annual Alcohol Prevention Campaign targeting children and youths.
According to Blue Cross Kenya Manager Brian Magwaro, the main aim of the walk is to create awareness in the communities that prevention is the best way to keep our children and youths healthy and safe.
“As much as we are looking at the children and youths being safe, we believe that for us to fight this menace of alcohol, we must target the entire community so that all of us can make healthy choices, and have a sober community,” said Magwaro.
The walk held in Kisumu from Kondele Roundabout to Nyalenda A brought together various stakeholders including the religious groups, National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA), among others.
Other counties targeted for the campaign included; Kiambu, Kakamega and Homa Bay.
Mr Magwaro said with the onset age for alcohol being six years in Kenya, targeting children with the prevention campaigns is key to preventing them from addiction and the expensive rehabilitation.
Kisumu County Coordinator for NACADA Sarah Koske said targeting the young people is the best way to protect the future generation.
She called upon various stakeholders to join hands and let the young people understand the impact of alcohol in their lives, saying this is the most dangerous age for alcohol addiction.
“These are the people who are starting life, and if we don’t take care of them then we do not have a future. We are telling the young people that they can be happy and healthy without alcohol,” she said.
Her sentiments were echoed by Pastor Caroline Ogweno of Mavuno Church Kisumu, who noted that the church has been dealing with cases of alcohol consumption among children.
She said the church has had to put up programs to support children who are already in alcohol through guidance and counseling sessions, as well as providing material support, such as paying school fees, and providing food for them.
“Our main belief as the church is that prevention is better than cure,” she said.
She noted that poverty remains one of the contributors to children and families getting into alcohol.
“It is very difficult to get someone out of addiction, than it is to keep them from starting, so our initiative is to ensure they do not start,” said Lillian Gitau, an addiction treatment specialist and Executive Director, Renaissance Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre.
