GOVERNMENT AND SOCIETAL EFFORT TO ADDRESS VULNERABILITY LEADING TO RISKS RELATED TO DRUG AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE AMONG FEMALE YOUTH IN MAKINDU, KENYA
Dr. Nelson Jagero, Ms. Faith Mbulwa

ABSTRACT
The rise in the number of drug and substance related risks in Kenya, points towards an increase in vulnerabilities. The increase in drug taking among young people incorporates all levels, and what began as the use of drugs in African traditional society for social relations evolved over time into a problem of dependence and abuse. Drug and substance are readily available to adults and to youth and girls and women are catching up fast with males. Not only does the youth consume alcohol but also use drugs to the extent that substances pose dangers to the health of the youth and ultimately to the well being of the nation. This indicates that the rise in disasters and their consequences are related to the rise in the vulnerability of people all over the world that is induced by the human determined path of development. It is now recognized that risks (physical, social and economic) unmanaged (or mismanaged) for a long time lead to occurrence of disasters. Risk and vulnerability are in extricably linked and therefore vulnerability must be understood if risk is to be managed. The objective of the study was to investigate what is the government of Kenya and Makindu society are doing about the problem of female youth’s indulgence in drugs and substance abuse. The research design used in the study was case study design using snow ball sampling technique. 29 respondents were sampled for the study. The data was collected by use of unstructured interviews, participant observation for female youth who abused drugs and substance and focus group discussion guides for female youth whose partners abused drugs. Data was analysed using both quantitative and qualitative methods. The major finding of the study was that the government was working against vulnerability to drug and substance abuse through it agents such as the police, probation and after care services department, the courts, the ministry of youth affairs and sports.

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