MMUST and the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) are working on a collaborative study to address the growing problem of drug and substance abuse in Western Kenya. The study was initiated in a meeting held on 17th July 2018, between the Vice Chancellor Prof. Eng. Fred Otieno, with the MMUST researchers Dr. Donald Kokonya and Dr. Dennis Ochieno; and the KEMRI Project Principal and Co-Principal Investigators, Dr. Jane Mbui, a specialist in Internal Medicine and Public Health, and the Medical Sociologist Dr. Prisca Otambo, respectively.

The study focuses on institutions of higher learning with MMUST students as key participants. Prof. Otieno welcomed the initiative saying the problem of drug and substance abuse exists, but the extent to which it is rooted in this region is poorly understood. He further said that the study is timely and of great importance to the University and community at large.