This week, social media was abuzz with pictures of young high school students who were apparently partying excessively when they got arrested and taken to police cells.
The students, who included boys and girls, were pictured with vomit and soiled clothes in an unconscious state unaware of what was happening around them.
According to the police, the boys and girls were engaging in sexual activities, while drinking their hearts out at a local party after their school was closed. The pictures depicted the sorry state of affairs in the country that requires salvaging to rescue our youth.
According to a recent report, 88 young Kenyans between 18 and 24 years contract HIV-Aids daily. These are students in high schools and universities.
The report further said young Kenyans have a system they call “Mali Kuenda Chain”, where during parties and school functions, one girl is shared by three to four boys.
To the boys, the girl becomes group property to be shared among friends. This system is apparently taking root in almost all urban centres from Nairobi to Mombasa, Nakuru to Kisumu.
To the young at heart, HIV-Aids is just a mere disease that they do not fear and believe can be controlled by medication unlike cancer, which leads to death in a few months’ time.
To most young girls, pregnancy is more fearful than HIV-Aids. They are more worried about the “morning after” pill than using condoms and practising safe sex. Besides the youth, there are also sugar mummies and sponsors who also have intercourse with the young Kenyans thus spreading the disease among the elderly. For the faithful spouses at home, they are thrown into the mix unknowingly.
Eighty-eight infections per day is 616 young Kenyans per week, which further translates to 2,640 per month and 31,680 per year. By any standards, this is a high rate of infection, which if not immediately addressed will lead to a disaster in the country.
Parents, high schools and universities are failing in their duties to guide the youth as they are left on their own to wade through the murky waters of life. There seems to be no respites in the offing for our young boys and girls who are now quickly becoming an endangered species requiring urgent protection and saving.
The responsibility of raising the young is shared between parents and teachers. When one fails to do their part, the child is bound to get lost. Both parents have a primary duty to instil moral values and discipline from a tender age.
Article 53 (1) (e) of the Constitution provides that “every child has the right to parental care and protection, which includes equal responsibility of the mother and father to provide for the child whether they are married to each other or not”. However, many parents fail in their duties to their children.
The free primary education and lack of investing in schools has led to populated schools that lack facilities and teachers. Presently, one teacher could be responsible for over 80 students and this possess a great challenge on who would be prioritized.
The teacher can only support those willing to learn. Those who have less interest are left to get spoilt and engage in immoral activities like those reported this week on social media. Not enough is being done to protect our youth.
As a country, the time has come for us to question our moral integrity particularly when it comes to children. We have neglected our culture and traditions where a child belongs to society and every adult has a duty to ensure their wellbeing.
Our children have rights over us including the right to be guided morally and intellectually. When we fail to deliver such rights to our children, we fail the entire society including ourselves.
As a country, Kenya must refocus its effort on the children lest we lose an entire generation. As the Swahili people say “Asiye funzwa na mamaye hufunzwa na ulimwengu”.
