Residents mill around scene where police officers shot dead a man vandalizing Standard Gauge Railway at Stage 39 bridge in Kwa Mangeli Slum, Athi River recently. (Photo/Maugo Owiti)
Quarry owners in Mavoko, Machakos County should seize using machines in excavation to create employment, say Kalusia youths.
The youths claimed most of them were jobless despite the fact there were hundreds of quarries in the Sub County.
They addressed the press at Kalusia village in Muthwani Ward on Saturday.
“It is incredible that we live within the quarries but lack jobs as local youths,” said spokesman Derrick Omondi.
Omondi said heavy excavation machines and equipments had taken over the work in the quarries rendering hundreds of the youths completely jobless.
He said some of the machines should be moved elsewhere away from Mavoko quarries to create opportunities for the jobless local youths.
“One machine being operated by an individual does work that could have been done by over a hundred casual laborious, this is unfair,” said Omondi.
Omondi said the situation had resulted to hopelessness among the youths.
He said majority had resorted to criminal activities including robbery, prostitution and drug abuse.
“What are we expected to do without jobs, we have to resort to alternative ways of earning livelihoods even if they are neither legal nor moral,” said Omondi.
The youths urged the government to intervene into the matter so as to address their plight.