Leaders in Mombasa County have encouraged youth to engage in sporting activities in a bid to avert drug abuse and being lured into joining terror groups.
The leaders led by Mombasa Women Representative Mishi Mboko said there is an increase in drug abuse especially among youth in the Coast region.
Mboko said the government is sponsoring sporting activities in the county to help the youths be productive.
Speaking on Sunday at Ujamaa football grounds in Likoni, Mombasa she said the county government will address youth unemployment which has been blamed for insecurity and drug abuse in the county.
“Most of the youth in the region engage in drug abuse and criminal activities due to idleness,” said Mboko.
Mboko further urged the youth to set up income generating ventures in order to improve their livelihoods.
“The government has programmes and funds that you can use to start small income generating ventures instead of staying idle at home,” she said.
The event was attended by Ndhiwa MP Agostino Neto, Uasin Gishu Senator Isaac Melly and Nakuru East MP David Gikaria.
MP Neto urged the youth to shun drugs and instead engage in activities that can empower them saying the youth have a role to play in the economic development of the county.
“Come up with ideas and initiate projects that will generate some income so that you can become financially stable and boost the county’s economy,” said Neto.
The legislators said unemployment, insecurity, drug abuse and radicalisation in the region as some of the major challenges facing the youth.
The leaders called on the government and the private sector to create job opportunities for the youth.