Young men in Embu county are busy abusing drugs and alcohol and selling miraa, forcing young women to turn to married men or look elsewhere for husbands.
Boys drop out of school to sell miraa, with their parents’ blessings, while the girls go on to complete their studies. Later in life this puts the boys at a disadvantage as they develop low self-esteem and find it had to court educated girls.
Boys have been left to their own devices, with no guidance from the county administration or parents. As a result, many have turned to alcohol and drugs, which have turned them into zombies.
When the boys make some money from selling miraa, they engage in irresponsible sex, and this has led to a rise in prostitution. One of the worst hit areas is Riandu location, Mbeere North.
lazy men
Senior chief John Makenge called for quick intervention to save the boys and by extension the men. The location has more than 40 licensed bars, mostly selling cheap second-generation alcohol.
Makenge said the drug-addled young men have become lazy, while the girls are busy furthering their education. He said it is disappointing that grown men cannot court women, pushing the women to seek comfort from married men and men in other counties.
green gold
“Cheap alcohol and easy money in mismanaged miraa business — in which parents allow their sons to engage, at the expense of their education — is causing men not to marry, instead patronising prostitutes,” he said.
He said miraa is called green gold as it has changed many lives for the better. More people are building permanent houses and doing all manner of self-development with income from miraa sales.
On the dark side, abuse has led to a high rate of school dropouts, Makenge said. He urged the county to review bar licensing to keep out young boys. He urged parents, the county and national government to refocus on the boy.
Makenge asked parents to use money from the miraa trade to educate their sons. What’s the point of a lot of money if you don’t have knowledge to use it well? he asked.