Law enforcement and rehabilitation: balancing punitive measures and rehabilitation programs in police intervention against drug abuse in Nairobi,

Abstract

This paper examines how enforcement, community policing and rehabilitation referral practices interact with socio-economic conditions to shape drug abuse trajectories in three sub-counties of Nairobi City County between 2020 and 2025. A qualitatively-dominant convergent mixed-methods study draws on structured surveys, key informant interviews and focus group discussions with police officers, National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) officials, rehabilitation practitioners, Nyumba Kumi coordinators and reformed drug users in Mathare, Kibera and Kayole. Descriptive analysis complements reflexive thematic analysis; secondary trend data are drawn from NACADA and National Police Service records. Perceived rehabilitation effectiveness carries the strongest inverse association with self-reported drug abuse; community policing tracks a similar pattern. Enforcement effectiveness shows a weaker association and is undermined by high perceived relapse. Socio-economic deprivation is substantially and positively associated with drug abuse. Despite a sharp rise in drug-related arrests, prevalence estimates have not declined. The evidence supports a shift from enforcement-dominant policing towards a treatment-oriented, procedurally just model coupled with structural investment in employment and rehabilitation infrastructure.