Exposed: Abuse in Nairobi's Islamic Rehab Centers

🔍Traditional religious healers in Nairobi profit from the demand for Islamic healing, but some have turned to violent practices and abuse.

⚖️Clients are kidnapped and forcibly held in Islamic rehab centers, where they face physical abuse and torture.

🌿Harmala, a concentrated herbal solution, is used to punish clients, causing hallucinations, chest pains, and severe vomiting.

👥The staff, including guards and other patients, are involved in inflicting violence and maintaining control in the rehab centers.

🚫Despite reports and evidence of abuse, authorities and regulators, such as NACADA, have failed to shut down these centers or take appropriate action.

What is the harmala solution used for?

—The harmala solution is used as a form of punishment in the Islamic rehab centers. It causes hallucinations, chest pains, and severe vomiting.

Who is involved in the abuse in the rehab centers?

—The staff, including guards and other patients, are involved in inflicting violence and maintaining control in the rehab centers.

Why haven't the authorities taken action?

—Despite reports and evidence of abuse, authorities and regulators, such as NACADA, have failed to shut down these centers or take appropriate action.

Are these rehab centers part of the Islamic religion?

—These rehab centers are run by individuals who claim to be religious figures, but their practices of abuse and violence go against the teachings of Islam.

What can be done to stop the abuse in these rehab centers?

—It requires a collective effort from the community, authorities, and regulators to expose the abuse, hold the perpetrators accountable, and shut down these centers to protect vulnerable individuals.

00:02Eastleigh in Nairobi, Kenya is a hub for traditional religious healers catering to Somalis who want to get closer to their culture and roots.

00:22Africa Eye investigates the abuse and violence in Islamic rehab centers in Eastleigh, where clients are held against their will and subjected to physical torture.

07:23Darushifa, one of the rehab centers, has been reported for physical abuse, but authorities and regulators have failed to take action.

10:07Koranic readings performed by religious sheiks are used to exorcise demons, but some clients are subjected to more aggressive forms of treatment.

18:02Undercover footage reveals the use of harmala, a dangerous herbal solution, as a form of punishment, causing severe physical reactions.

19:27Patients at the rehab centers, including guards and other inmates, are involved in inflicting violence on fellow inmates.

23:49Even mentally ill clients are not spared from abuse at the rehab centers, which are supposed to provide treatment and support.

26:26Regulatory agencies, like NACADA, have not taken appropriate action to shut down these centers and protect vulnerable individuals.