Where it Happens

Drug and substance abuse is a truly national issue that cuts across counties, communities, age groups and social backgrounds. Explore our interactive atlas to understand the scale of the issue and what is being done to end it. Find data to support your advocacy and fundraising, and connect with others working to end drug and substance abuse in your location.

Key Facts

  • Over 1 in 4 Kenyans aged 15–65 have used a drug or substance at least once.

  • 10% of youth in Kenya are struggling with harmful substance use.

  • Globally, more than 35 million people suffer from drug use disorders.

What our Drug Abuse Data Hub Tells You

Our data hub provides up-to-date information on drug and substance abuse across Kenya and globally. In it, you will find:

    • Top-20 counties in Kenya with the highest rates of drug and substance abuse.

    • National and county-level data on prevalence, age groups affected, and most commonly abused substances.

    • Key drivers of drug and substance abuse in different communities (e.g., poverty, trauma, peer pressure).

    • Government policies, laws, and commitments around prevention, rehabilitation, and harm reduction.

    • Information on the minimum legal age and penalties for drug possession and use in Kenya.

    • Organizations and networks working to reduce drug abuse and support affected individuals.

What It Helps You Do

  •  Strengthen your advocacy and funding proposals with real data from across Kenya.

  • Hold local and national authorities accountable to their policy commitments.

  • Connect with other groups and professionals working to combat drug and substance abuse.

  • Learn more about prevention, community outreach, and rehabilitation in our Learning & Resources Hub.

    🔍 Explore the Drug Abuse Data Hub

Sources

  • National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA).
    National Survey on the Status of Drug and Substance Use in Kenya, 2022.

  • NACADA.
    Rapid Situation Assessment of Drug and Substance Abuse Among the Youth in Kenya, 2021.

  • United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
    World Drug Report, 2023.

  • World Health Organization (WHO).
    Social Determinants of Health and Substance Use, 2020.

  • Government of Kenya.
    Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act, 1994; amended 2022.

  • NACADA.
    Partnership Directory and Mapping of Civil Society Organizations Working on Substance Abuse in Kenya, 2023.