MATEJA: Swahili Word Of The Day By Yusuf Juma

A cocaine addict. An addict in Swahili is known as mateja. | image source: mirror.co.uk

Drug abuse is quite a huge problem in Kenya and families and various social institutions are struggling to rehabilitate loved ones who have found themselves addicted to drugs.

Addiction does not relate to drugs alone as it is a word that is used to describe, according to , a condition that results when a person ingests a substance (e.g., alcohol, cocaine, nicotine) or engages in an activity (for example, gambling, sex, shopping) that can be pleasurable but the continued use/act of which becomes compulsive and interferes with ordinary life responsibilities, such as work, relationships, or health.

The Swahili word for addiction is uraibu whereas an addict is referred to as mraibu.

However according to Radio Jambo news reader Yusuf Juma, an addict in Swahili can also be known as mateja and that was today's Swahili word of the day.