Trapped by the bottle: How poverty and addiction are destroying families in Kenya

His addiction worsened in 2021, landing him in the hospital multiple times. Daniel depends on odd jobs to make ends meet, and on a good day he makes about 500 shillings, but he spends almost all of it on alcohol.

“In the morning when I wake up, I need to consume like two glasses of spirits that go for about forty shillings a glass because I usually have intense shake and I cannot even take a cup of tea,’ ’he explains.

According to him, only then does his body become more stable, and that is when he goes to the market to assist shoppers with their luggage, earning him around Ksh.600 per day, almost all of which he spends on alcohol.

“I make about 600 shillings but spend four hundred on alcohol. This habit has cost me a lot and I have really tried to quit. My mother is stressed because of me and I hate seeing her like that,’’ he added.

He says that is habits has pushed his family away and he is willing to quit the bad habit.

His mother Faith Gathia is depressed by her son’s situation, she lost her firstborn son and husband to alcoholism. According to her, they live in a neighborhood full of drinking dens and high levels of poverty.

I lost my husband and first-born son to alcoholism so you can imagine the pain I have because of alcohol. I can’t even face his grave, I have tried taking him to the hospital and he is given medication which are expensive about Ksh 3000 per medication.

According to her they live in a neighbourhood full of drinking dens and high level of poverty.

 “Were it not for alcoholism my son would have been very far in life. Alcohol has destroyed his life several times. I get called that he has collapsed or has been hit and I never know when this alcohol will take my son,’’ she said.

Many people see alcohol as a way to relax and socialize. But for some, it can be the only way to get through the day.

Ann Nyambura 21-year-old son suffers from alcohol and drug-induced psychosis; he started mixing alcohol and drugs while in high school, leading to addiction.

“He started alcohol and substance abuse while in high school and he was chased from the school. sometimes he comes home high and he can get violent,” she explained.

Nyambura, who is a hairdresser, is jobless at the moment and cannot afford to take her son to a rehabilitation center.

“I really want to help my son get better because he is too young, and I believe all is not lost but I do not have the money,’ she said.

Alcohol is a mind-altering substance. It depresses the function of your central nervous system, affecting processes related to memory, judgment, speech, and mood, among many others.

Alcohol-induced psychosis involves experiencing hallucinations, delusions, or both while consuming alcohol or during withdrawal periods.

Isaac Muchimbo is a n addiction counselor by profession and a reformed addict working for a community-based organization known us Hope Wellness and Restoration Center.

He receives three cases per day from parents or loved ones of addicts looking for help for their loved ones, demonstrating how prevalent addiction is in the community.

“These are people whose lives have become unmanageable and they cannot take care of themselves because of alcoholism. My major concern is availability of alcohol, there is little control and its ruining people’s lives,” he explained

Through the Hope Wellness and Restoration Center, he mobilizes alcoholics and supports them on their journey to recovery through treatment programs. He also emphasizes aftercare, where individuals receive empowerment and acquire skills through college.

He provides people with information about detox, managing addiction cravings, and understanding emotions.

“We mostly deal with people who cannot even afford to pay for rehab because of poverty. We mobilize them, and of course, we have to use some incentives like feeding programs and after-treatment care,” he said.