• The archbishop calls on them to pray for the country during the drought, blesses tonnes of food and relief supplies
• Tells the youth to avoid being slaves of people with bad intentions
Image: FILE
John Cardinal Njue yesterday warned young people against being “enslaved” by people with bad intentions.
Speaking at Saint Mary’s Msongari Catholic Church during Palm Sunday Mass yesterday, Njue said young people must vigorously avoid bad deeds.
Afterward, he blessed several tonnes of relief food and supplies; priests urged everyone to pray for rain.
“Short or tall as you are, you are who you are, not by choice. Be proud of what God has made you,” Njue told more than 5,000 youth.
“Do not allow yourself to go with the wind. Otherwise, you will never know where you will land,” he said. Njue said the youth, who are the majority, are often misused.
He said, "Young people are often faced with a myriad of challenges. However, challenges will come and go."
The youth are normally easy targets for all sorts of crimes, radicalisation, drug abuse and other vices, he said.
He urged the youth to use their energies in productive work and reject activities that add no meaning or harm themselves.
Njue challenged the youth to know themselves before “following a clear path to success".
For them to succeed, the archbishop said they must differentiate between “good and evil and keep off that which is evil at all costs".
Njue asked the youth to continue praying for the country to overcome its challenges.
He said for meaningful development to be achieved, peace must prevail.
During the Mass, priests urged Kenyans to pray for rain.
The government says 1.2 million people are at risk of famine.
About 14.7 million people are without food as the drought takes its toll.
The National Drought Management Authority blames the crisis on lack of rain, disease outbreaks, locust invasion and insecurity.
The authority said communities in the 12 most affected counties are in danger of insecurity due to conflicts over resources.
The worst-hit counties are Mandera, Wajir, Turkana, Garissa, Marsabit, Tana River, Makueni, Kwale, Isiolo, Kilifi, West Pokot and Kajiado.
The below-average short rains increased the food insecure population from 655,800 in August 2018 to 1,111,500, with the top 12 counties having 865,300 food insecure people, the report reads.
In Turkana, the hot spots are Kibish, Turkana North and Turkana East where 192, 800 people are in dire need of basic things such as water, food, treatment, peace and security,” it says.
At least 88, 800 people in Mandera East, Banissa, Mandera West and Mandera North in Mandera county face death. Another 86,100 people in Garissa at Hulugho, Daadab, Lagdera, and Fafi are in critical condition.
In Baringo, where more than 15 deaths have occurred, 73,700 people living in Tiaty, Baringo South and Baringo North are in care in a bad state. They are surviving on wild fruits.
Some 60,300 people in Kilifi’s Ganze, Magarini and Kaloleni are in critical condition while Tana River county has 59,700 in need of food aid.
In West Pokot county, the health of 57,600 people has deteriorated due to lack of water, food and security in Pokot North and Pokot Central.
In Marsabit 56,600 people in North Horr and Laisamis need food. Makueni has 54,800 cases in Mbooni and Kibwezi. In Kajiado, 47,100 need relief food while Kwale has 45,800.
In Isiolo 42,000 are in dire need of help.
(Edited by R. Wamochie)