Politicians in Mombasa County have been challenged to support various youth programmes geared towards engaging youth in development activities within the county.
Kipevu Ward representative Faith Mwende said that most youth were indulging in criminal activities since they had no forms of earning living and lacked the support and guidance from their own political leaders.
Speaking at Changamwe in Mombasa on Wednesday, Mwende said that it was painful for the police to always conduct crackdown against the youth or even demanding money from them despite knowing that they had nothing to give out.
Mwende said that if youth in Changamwe were fully supported, no youth will idle around.
“Before we even tell them to form groups and get loans from various youth enterprise development funds, let the politicians guide them on which types of businesses they should engage with and how they will get such loans,” she added.
She said that without proper information on the types of business the youth can engage in then the loans will not be of any importance to them.
“We have seen many youth taking loans and later the groups disintegrate, a situation that makes them unable to pay back the loans and fight poverty among themselves,” she added.
Mwende urged Changamwe Political leaders to work together in a bid to help youth grow economically so as to reduce the crime rate in Changamwe.
She revealed that she has been meeting several youth and women groups in Kipevu ward adding that the efforts will be expanded to the whole of the Changamwe constituency so that youth in the area are fully engaged in economic and development activities.