The repeated knocking at the Registrar of person offices in the Coast region has been the norm for Rahma Mohammed. Being a person who was once immersed into drug dependency disorders for years and started her recovery journey, Rahma was hopeful that one day she will access the important document, the national identity card (ID).
Her repeated visits to the Registrar of Persons offices across the Coast region often ended in disappointment. From grassroots to regional levels, Rahma’s requests were met with delays and setbacks.
Musa Otieno shares a similar story. After years of drug use, he is now firmly on the path to recovery, and with a positive course, Otieno is “recovering himself,”
“I no longer abuse drugs—not even cigarettes,” Otieno said. “But without an ID, I can’t enroll in a vocational institution, apply for a job, or even start a small business.”
Otieno, now a healthy and cheerful young man, credits his recovery to anti-drug lobby Reachout Centre Trust (RCT). Yet, his efforts to rebuild his life stalled for lack of a crucial document—the national ID.
“Some family members still think we’re trapped in addiction,” revealed Otieno, during a two-day exercise to register recovery drug users so that they can acquire the important document. “But we’re clean now, and we want to improve our lives. Without IDs, we face hurdles in making ends meet.”
The important exercise took place at the Reachout Centre Trust offices in Old town within Mombasa county on July 16 and 17, 2025.
Lobbying for change
RCT Advocacy Officer Pili Saria said the initiative was the result of months of lobbying and fundraising to help recovering drug users secure official identification.
“We worked closely with the administration and the Registrar of Persons to make this possible,” Saria said. “Many of these individuals have been searching for jobs, education opportunities, and ways to generate income, but the lack of IDs has held them back.”
[Reachout Centre Trust (RCT) Advocacy officer, Pili Saria. He is spearheading a program to enable recovering drug users acquire Identity cards. Photo/Joseph Ngala/August, 08, 2025].
Saria added that the organisation plans to hold the registration exercise twice a year to ensure those in recovery can also access other important documents necessary for rebuilding their lives.
He also called on the government to scrap the KSh 1,000 replacement fee for lost IDs, noting that many recovering users lost theirs during their years of addiction.
“We want to help them start afresh, but these charges are a big barrier. Removing them would go a long way in supporting recovery and reintegration,” Saria said.
