Eight foreign nationals were rescued during a multi-agency operation led by the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) at a rehabilitation facility in Kajiado.
According to NACADA, the centre had been operating for six months without a licence from the authority.
The agency said the facility is facing closure following the operation.
The rescued individuals include five citizens of the United States, two from Canada and one from Britain.
The operation involved NACADA, the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC), County Public Health officials, the National Police Service and officials from the American Embassy in Nairobi.
NACADA said the operation uncovered deficiencies in patient care and violations of patients' rights.
NACADA Chief Executive Officer Anthony Omerikwa, who led the operation, expressed concern over the conditions at the facility.
“Rehabilitation is a voluntary, therapeutic process founded on respect for human dignity, individual rights, and professional standards of care," Omerikwa said.
"The involuntary detention of clients, including foreign nationals, without lawful authority or due process is unacceptable and contrary to the principles of ethical treatment. Rehabilitation facilities are places of healing and recovery, not detention centres.”
According to NACADA, investigations at the facility found that patients had remained there without documented clinical justification, treatment reviews or discharge planning, which the authority said pointed to deficiencies in case management.
NACADA further said the facility lacked a structured rehabilitation programme and failed to meet national treatment standards requiring proper assessment, consent and individualised care plans.
The agency warned rehabilitation facilities against unlawfully detaining patients or violating their rights.
“No person seeking help for substance use disorders should be deprived of their liberty unlawfully. Whether Kenyan or foreign, every client deserves to be treated with dignity, compassion, and in accordance with the law,” Omerikwa emphasised.
“Any rehabilitation facility found unlawfully detaining clients or violating their fundamental rights will face firm regulatory and legal action. Recovery must happen in an environment of trust, care, and respect for human rights.”
NACADA said the case highlights the need for stronger oversight of rehabilitation facilities.
The authority added that only 78 of the 150 facilities it has inspected are accredited and that it is intensifying enforcement against facilities operating outside the legal framework.
The multi-agency team has recommended the immediate closure of the centre.
NACADA said the case has also been referred to law enforcement agencies for further investigation into the facility's operations.
