How church is fighting alcoholism, gambling in Kiambu

ACK Evangelist Karongo Mugi engages youths who were addicted to alcohol in Lari Kiambu County. [George Njunge, Standard]

The Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) in Lari constituency has stepped up the fight against gambling, drugs, and alcohol to rescue the youths from the yoke and tight grip of abuse.

This as it emerged that the youths in the sleepy shopping centers in the constituency engage in gambling as many throng dingy pubs to consume alcohol.

The church says that this has affected their productivity and family life in a constituency that is known to have fertile farms.

Evangelist Karongo Mugi of the Diocese of Mt Kenya South, Githiorini Parish in Lari constituency, said that alcohol and substance abuse in Lari had reached alarming levels.

He said the church decided to rescue the desperate youths from the shopping centers and introduce them to sporting activities and counselling sessions.

“The idea to liberate and deliver our youths did not begin as a sports project. It began with a painful observation that young men were seen loitering at shopping centers as early as 10 am, already intoxicated, many barely out of their teenage years," he said.

Karongo said that other youths slept through Sundays because Saturday nights were lost to alcohol, drugs, and gambling.

"As a church, we could not hold any longer as the youths dug their own graves and buried themselves in alcoholism in a bid to veil their frustrations. We marched to the centers and got them,” Karongo said.

ACK Evangelist Karongo Mugi engages youths who were addicted to alcohol in Lari Kiambu County. [George Njunge, Standard]

Karongo added that parents in the region were equally frustrated and affected by the spiraling numbers of youths indulging in social vices.

“We even have cases of petty thieves and our investigation pointed the theft as a scheme powered by the need to buy drugs and alcohol. That is how bad the situation is and we are doing everything to stop it," he said.

"As an evangelist, I am moving to those alcohol dens, having conversations with the owners and the customers and every day we pluck one or two youths and bring them to sporting activities and counselling sessions,” Karongo said. 

He said the church has organized soccer tournaments and the number of youths who took part in the games overwhelmed the planners.

“We were shocked that the youths also wanted to move out of the shopping centers. What they lacked was the push,” Karongo said.

John Wainaina is one of the youths from Nyamweru village in Lari who has joined the counselling classes and football games. “I thank the church and any organizer of games. Ordinarily, I would have been in an alcohol den. I did not choose to drink, I am frustrated like many youths of this nation and the only way to bury my head is in alcohol.  Soccer has engaged us, and talks by the evangelists here have made us see our worth," he said.

Wainaina added that he wished the local leadership and the government would see how small ideas in engaging youths can be fruitful.

“The politicians only engage us during a few months before elections as a way of baiting us to elect them, and they forget about us immediately after. We wish we were engaged for long. We are also not happy to be on drugs," said Wainaina.

He added: "We are not happy that our parents are crying because of us. But what option is left for us? who is looking after us or even listening to us? We are not bad people circumstances and being ignored have driven us to drugs, gambling and alcohol."

ACK Evangelist Karongo Mugi engages youths who were addicted to alcohol in Lari Kiambu County. [George Njunge, Standard]

Joseph Mbugua, another reformed youth, said that he started taking alcohol in the village and before long he was already hooked up.

“I can attest that alcoholism is a serious menace here, and it is like it targets the productive age. It will not take any one long time in Lari to notice how bad the situation is. Our parents have cried enough because of us. Many young men at the age of marrying and bringing forth children are hopeless and too weak,” Mbugua said.

He added: “It is a painful experience. Every morning, I used to wake up with a throbbing headache and without anything to do I would dive back to the drinking den. This made my body weak. I was a pale shadow of my former self.”

Mbugua said it is amazing at the level of talent that the youths portray on the pitch, even without proper playing gear or boots.

“Our resolve is to kick this bad habit away and keep them at bay. We are a people who can produce. We don’t mind a project that can help us generate some income during the day and in the afternoon, we can come to flex our muscles and our skills here in the field.”

Stephen Njenga, another youth plucked from the drinking den told The Standard that he had become hopeless, having nothing to engage him.

Njenga said that one sip of alcohol led to a glass and finally to a full bottle, and before long, he was glued.

“We have good farms here in Lari, no one thinks how we can be organised, supplied with seeds of vegetables and other farm inputs, this is something we can do. No one has ever thought of listening to us in those dens or even coming to hear our stories; we have been left alone,” Njenga said.