The youth should use available opportunities and keep off drugs and substance abuse for their growth, Devolution PS Teresia Mbaika has said.
Mbaika has cautioned the youth against idling around as they get drained into unlawful activities like drugs and substance abuse and crime.
“It is the responsibility of everybody including private sector and the government to talk about these hurting behaviors. Even at the national level, the Deputy President has taken upon himself alongside the Office of the President to ensure that young people are talked to,” she said.
She said the government has put measures to ensure the law is followed when it comes to the sale and supply of liquor.
These measures according to Mbaika are meant to limit the exposure of children to drugs and also regulate the sale of liquor in the country.
“It is upon all of us to make sure that we control these vices as early as we can. I laud the Forum for the initiative. We have done many things, but for me, this is very important since we are taking care of our generations' future,” Mbaika said.
Mbaika spoke during a Drugs and Substance Abuse youth forum organized by Kaiti Constituency professionals in Kilungu ward on Saturday.
She was accompanied by other experts from; NACADA, Makueni County government and No Summit Too High founder Dr Faith Mwende.
The aim of the forum which was attended by over 100 youths was to encourage the youth and help them transform into responsible citizens.
Makueni County Gender executive Nicholas Nzioka and his Devolution counterpart Japheth Mang’oka also attended the event and counseled the youth.
He told the youth that it was good to take care of their young ages and make good use of their youthfulness.
PS Mbaika on the other hand expressed confidence that majority of the youth will keep off drugs and choose paths that can lead to prosperity.
The PS further cautioned the youth against misusing their communication gadgets and committing cybercrime.
“Cybercrime and security are among the priority areas of Kenya Kwanza administration. One of the key five pillars of this government is digital superhighway and creative economy,” she said.
She said the ICT ministry was in the process of connecting all parts of the country to the Internet through public Wi-Fi.
“The Internet has to be utilized responsibly by our young people. We have the know how, knowledge, is a source of employment to our people,” Mbaika said.
Mbaika told the youth that there were people working for organisations and employers abroad, but from the country including remote villages like Kilungu in Makueni County, courtesy of technology.
“I urge young people from this place and entire country to use that space responsibly. The digital economy is among the highest earners of revenue for countries that have economically grown globally. So, we are looking forward to this also as a country,” Mbaika said.
Mbaika mentioned agriculture, proper usage of technology and self-employment as some of the ways the youth can get busy and earn decent livelihoods as they pursue other ventures to improve living standards.
“My encouragement to the young people, let us use the opportunities that are there. Na hakuna kuchagua kazi, kazi ni kazi,” Mbaika said.
“There are lots of opportunities for young people to tap, and as a government, we are ready to spread the gospel of the opportunities we have,” Mbaika said.
She said the upcoming county aggregation and industrial parks will create jobs for the youth through value chains stating that the government had identified opportunities in dairy, leather and fruits in the region.
“All skins and hides go to waste. They are either buried or cooked to dogs despite being sources of revenue,” she said.
“So, the government is also focusing on agriculture. For instance here in Makueni, agriculture is our big thing. We have the subsidized fertilizers and looking at the last harvest, we had food since we used right inputs. The government has subsidized some of the inputs,” Mbaika said.
