Entry Point for Entrepreneurship Training in the Treatment of Drug Addicts: A Case Study of Rehabilitation Centres in Kiambu County, Kenya

This study was concerned with assessing the entry point at which entrepreneurship can be
incorporated in drug addiction treatment centres. Drug addiction is a major problem in the
country Kenya and there is a need to empower those who seek treatment in the rehabilitation
centres with entrepreneurial knowledge, skills and attitudes. Kiambu County was selected due
to the fact that it is well known for high rates of drug and substance abuse. The objective of the
study was to identify the current treatment methodologies practiced in the treatment centres.
The target population of the study composed of clients who are in treatment centres in Kiambu
county and administrators in the centres. The sample size consisted of 42 respondents and the
sampling technique used to achieve this number was random sampling. The instruments of
data collection were questionnaires. Descriptive analysis was used to describe and highlight the
variables, the results show that a majority of the clients in the treatment centres were in the
age group 20-30 years and that none of the members of staff have been trained in
entrepreneurship. The research also found that a majority of the clients lived with their parents
thus depending on them. In conclusion the study found that dependency on family members
lessens the chances of an individual to become a more productive member of the community.
Treatment centres should seek to treat the person holistically, where they are able to also treat
their clients to become economically independent. Treatment centres should require clients to
be responsible, conscientious and provide entrepreneurial oriented activities. Treatment
centres should therefore include entrepreneurial training as part of their curriculum to assist
the clients’ live normal and productive lives once they are out of the treatment centres.