Keep off alcohol and drugs, MCA advise Kiambu youth

Kiambu, Kenya: Four members of the Kiambu county have urged youths in the area to keep of drugs but instead use their energy in sporting activities, which will keep them busy and possibly also earn them a living.

Led by Kinuthia Mburuti (Komothai), Karungo wa Thang'wa (Ngewa), Paul Kimani (Kamburu), Peter Muhu (Kamwangi) called on the youth to shun the vice which has led to loss of many lives and some of the youth to become zombies.

They noted that if proper measures are not put in, the community may soon start experiencing serious labour shortage or even become extinct as it happened to the Red Indians in the United State of America (USA).

"Americans noted that Red Indians loved drinking beer a lot and they wanted to eliminate them, so they availed as much beer as possible to them and with time they were all wiped out, we do not want the same to happen to us," said Muhu.

They were speaking on Sunday in Komothai where the area MCA Kinuthia Mburuti had organized a football tournament which has been taking place for the last six months in a bid to keep young people off drugs.

The tournament dubbed "say no to drugs" saw more than 10 teams participate with the winner winning cash prices and uniforms.

On his part Mburuti called on the youth to apply for soft loans in local micro finances and also apply for Kiambu biashara Funds where the county government has set aside Sh300 million to offer loans to youth, women and people living with disability.

"I do not want to see you idling around in shopping centers arguing there are no white collar jobs while we have Biashara Fund which is not interest earning. Just apply and start up small business in your respective areas," said Mburuti.

Karungo decried that many young people are getting lost in alcoholism terming it as a very worrying trend. He urged parents and relatives to take their children who have been addicted to drugs and alcoholism to rehabilitation centres.

Kimani challenged the law enforcement officers to put stringent measures to sellers and consumers of illicit brew questioning why it mainly killed people in Central Kenya than any other region in the country.