Abbas Salim: The Inspiring Story of Former Drug Addict Now Mombasa County Enforcement Officer
- Abbas Salim is one of the many young people in Mombasa who have successfully been pulled out of a life of drugs and crime
- Salim told TUKO.co.ke that he was once hopeless, and his family started disassociating from him because of his drug addiction
- Today, he is among the Mombasa county enforcement officers, a job he admits changed everything about him
When you meet Abbas Salim, at first glance, he looks like any other uniformed officer in Mombasa.
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But behind his confident and warm smile lies a powerful story of redemption, resilience, and purpose.
How was Abbas Salim's past life like?
Just a few years ago, Abbas was lost in a world of addiction and crime, a life that had slowly drained him of hope, health, and dignity. At some point, he said, his family had started disassociating from him.
“I was hooked on drugs and the streets. I thought I would never make it out alive,” he told TUKO.co.ke during an exclusive interview at Tononoka Social Hall.
Today, Abbas is a transformed man in uniform, employed by the county government of Mombasa as an inspectorate officer.
“I was in a hard place. I started using drugs and joined criminal gangs very early. My family slowly began to disassociate from me. For five years, I was nobody,” he recounted.
“My move from drugs changed my life and sent hope to many young people. I was hopeless. I know how dark it can get,” he added.
Abbas' transformation journey was courtesy of many players, among them peace organisations, religious centres which helped him. He was among a group of 200 reformed youths supported by faith organisations and local NGOs.
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Their efforts caught the attention of Mombasa governor Abdulswamad Nassir, who took them under his wing.
What lured Abbas Salim into drugs?
Born and raised in Mombasa, the young man said he began using drugs in his teenage years. The lure of fast money and street life pulled him into crime.
The turning point for Abbas came when he entered a rehabilitation program, supported by faith-based groups and civil society. The road, he recalled, was tough detox, relapse, and recovery. However, he stayed the course. Eventually, he emerged sober and determined to start anew.
“Getting this job changed everything. It gave me dignity. It gave me something to wake up for,” he said.
Now, Abbas is calling for greater community support for reformed individuals, especially when it comes to employment and reintegration. His fellow reformed young people are now calling for job opportunities.
“We can't just tell people to stop using drugs or leave crime. We need to give those alternatives employment, skills, and hope,” he emphasises, adding that faith has been his biggest pillar of strength.
Abbas is just an example of how the community and state can support young men in meaningful engagement, which a section of Mombasa's religious leaders, civil society groups, and security agencies want the government to focus on.
According to the vice chairperson of the Mombasa Women of Faith Network, Rev. Sylvina Lwembe, there is an urgent need for reintegration programmes.
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“These young people have made a bold step toward changing their lives, but without jobs or income-generating activities, they remain vulnerable. The government must act now,” Rev. Lwembe said.
“When young people are idle and desperate, they become easy targets for criminal gangs and even politicians during election seasons,” added Mwanajuma Suleiman, the chairperson of Peace and Cohesion in Nyali Sub-County.
Why did Nyali youth leaders call for leadership change?
Previously, TUKO.co.ke reported that a section of youth leaders in Nyali, Mombasa county had called for a sweeping change in leadership.
The young people said a change in leadership was the only way pressing issues affecting them can be addressed.
They also called for initiatives that will ensure there is an end to the drug menace in the area.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
Joshua Cheloti (Editorial assistant) Joshua Cheloti is a multi-skilled journalist with over 5 years of experience in the media industry. He holds a Diploma in Journalism and Mass Communication and is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Media and Communication at Mount Kenya University. At TUKO, he's an editorial assistant. Before TUKO, he worked at Nairobi Review as an editorial writer, at Hope Media (Hope TV and Hope FM) as a correspondent in Eldoret, Hivisasa.com digital content editor and online writer, at Biblia Husema Broadcasting (BHB), Eldoret as Radio Presenter. Email: Joshua.cheloti@tuko.co.ke
Harrison Kivisu Harrison Kivisu is a TUKO.co.ke correspondent based in Mombasa county. He has a wide range of experience reporting in both print and electronic media spanning over 10 years. Harrison reports on politics, governance, business and sports. He holds professional journalism training certificates from different institutions in Kenya. My Email Kivisumbungu@gmail.com
