Youth Affairs, Creative Economy, and Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya has called for a better moral upbringing of children for a better society.
Mvurya called on parents and religious leaders to pay more attention to the moral upbringing of the youth.
“Parents, churches and mosques have a duty to contribute towards instilling good morals into the youth,” he said.
Speaking in Kwale county, the CS blamed parents for what he termed as moral decadence in the country, emphasising the importance of moral responsibility and guidance as a means to foster positive change.
“Let us remain vigilant in security matters and to guide our children in an upright manner, helping to reduce insecurity, particularly in tourist attraction areas like Kwale and Mombasa,” he said.
While in Kwale, the CS, in the spirit of giving distributed a consignment of food to residents across the six sub-counties of Kwale County during Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations that marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadhan.
He said the gesture was part of the national government’s annual support to Muslim communities observing the holy month of fasting. Mvurya called on Muslims to use the Eid-ul-Fitr festival that marks the end of the holy month of Ramadhan as an occasion to pray for peace and prosperity.
Mvurya also led a funds drive in aid of over 300 Imams and Madrassa teachers in Msambweni Subcounty where he helped raise Sh4.1 million.
The CS said the country was being threatened by moral decay and noted that the family is a component of society and whatever happens in it is reflected in the wider society.
He underscored the critical need for a renewed focus on the moral upbringing of the youth, noting that too many young people are being influenced by poor role models who do not embody the values needed to build a thriving and morally upright society.
Notorious machete-wielding gangs referred to as ‘Panga boys’ have been staging attacks on residents and business premises in Kwale and Mombasa counties.
“Our children are not living up to the good moral upbringing that is essential to their development and that is why we have the emergence of machete-wielding juvenile gangs in places like Kwale and Mombasa counties,” he said.
Mvurya also urged the media and religious leaders to help restore moral values and uprightness in society.
“We want religious leaders to be at the forefront in efforts to curb immorality and indiscipline among the young people,” he said.
