As one way of reducing crime rates in his ward, the Mikindani Member of County Assembly in Mombasa, Juma Renson Thoya has sponsored sports for residents.
Juma is targeting to use sports to keep residents, starting from youths to the elderly, engaged so that they don't end up in drugs, alcoholism and crimes.
“Sports keep the youth together, busy, happy and free them from bad company that encourage spending while many are jobless. I came up with the idea to salvage especially the youth from idling around which lures them to drugs and criminal activities”, said the MCA.
The MCA said will be lobbying different stakeholders to come and hold hands with him to see competitions turn out to be a source of employment for the residents.
Mikindani ward village elder in-charge of security, Wanje Ziro lauded the move by the MCA after confirming that youths taking part in criminal activities have reduced.
Elders as old as Paul Musyoka, 70, also took part various sports, including draft tournament. He emerged the winner of Sunday’s draft tournament and earned himself cash price of Sh5000.
“This is a January miracle I wasn’t anticipating such an amount because my customers were crying of lack of finances having spent much over the Christmas holiday,” Musyoka said.
He urged the government to introduce the draft game for the elders.
In recent years, machete-wielding youths in Mombasa have been attacking residents now and then, raising concerns about the security standards in the Coastal town of Kenya.