Popular Senator tells students to bet - but wants jobs created

The two, Senate Deputy Minority Leader Cleophas Malala and Youth Senate president Gideon Keter differed openly before comrades about betting during the annual 2018 Career and Job Expo. The event was held a Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology by Senator Malala as a move to sensitise the youth on career choice.

Keter argued that betting among the youth in the country was creating a culture of laziness among the youth.

“This sports betting that the youth are fully engaged in from morning to evening is must stop. I will not sit and watch comrades in universities languishing in laziness,” Keter, an accounts and information technology graduate from Strathmore University said. According to him, sports betting is also making the youth in the country to avoid job-hunting, believing that they will win ‘quick’ money.

“We currently have a funny generation in which the youth just want lazy around and bet. They do not want to wake up early and do something constructive with their lives,” he said.

However, Malala had a contrary opinion on sports betting that left the crowd in stitches — and which most of the participants weighed in to support.

According to Malala, sports betting has helped many comrades and the youth to put food on the table.

“Many of our youth in the country are betting because there are no jobs for them. It is so unfortunate that they only find refuge in sports betting where they can place, for instance, soo moja (Sh 100) to get a thousand bob,” he said.

He further asked leaders in the country to closely work together to help come up with proper alternatives to solve the high unemployment rates in the country, especially among the youth.

“As leaders, time has come for us to work together so that we can come up with better means at least to lower the high unemployment rates among the youth in the country,” Malala said.

Silas Kibicho, a student from Pwani University, told Campus Vibe that no one can stop students from betting.

“I am used to betting. I spend my winnings on food, clothing and even buying course modules. There is no way I can stop betting,” Kibicho, a business commerce student stated.