This archive report was first published on 16 August 2019.
As Kenya prepares for the upcoming census, the county of Murang'a stands out as a stark example of the consequences of unemployment and poverty on youth. With schools shutting down due to lack of learners, the question on everyone's mind is: what is behind this decline in population?
According to some, the answer lies in the profusion of illicit liquor dens in the region, which has rendered thousands of young men seriously challenged on the sensitive area of sexual potency. The problem is that even some of the legal stuff sold openly is said to have similar effects on these same young men – they quickly become addicted and think of nothing else but their daily dose of beer or spirit.
However, this is not a new phenomenon. In the past 17 years, both the Kibaki and Uhuru governments have tried to fight the menace of excessive alcoholism with distinctly mixed results. The persistence of illicit liquor indicates clearly that reducing alcohol addiction will require a lot more than administrative fiat.
County commissioners, coordinators, chiefs, assistant chiefs and the police have either failed to do the job, or some of them have become shareholders in the highly lucrative bootleg business. The fight will only be won when the level of unemployment and poverty falls significantly.
Published on August 16, 2019, by Magesha Ngwiri, this article highlights the need for governments to address the root causes of unemployment and poverty, rather than just providing aid in the procreation process.
