Youth in Mombasa are once again being challenged to deter from criminal activities.
Youth activist Said Shaban famously known as Mwagavumbi says most youth have been citing lack of employment as the main factor that has pushed them to crime and other forms of illegal activities.
Speaking in Mjambere, Kisauni Subcounty during a youth forum, Shaban said youth in other counties have employed various ways of sustaining their lives, dettering themselves from crime and other illegal activities.
“If youth from other counties are indulging in small scale farming, small businesses and other livelihood projects why not us?” Posed Mr Shaban alias Mwagavumbi.
He said unemployment is a global issue leave alone being a national issue in Kenya, further urging his peers to indulge in development initiatives instead of crime and drug abuse.
“Crime does not pay, it is either you are jailed or killed. Is that what we want as Mombasa youth?” He charged.
Shaban, who is also the Kisauni Social Justice Centre (KSJC) Chairperson is calling on various stakeholders to unite and empower the youth so that they are guided to the right path, away from societal vices.
He noted that, as youth activists under the Kisauni Social Justice Centre they have been working with youth, enabling them to indulge in income generating initiatives among them, garbage collection, fruit and fresh juice vending among other small livelihood initiatives.
He said such efforts will bar youth from any form of illegal activities.
“We have to mentor and help our own youth. We may lose an entire generation if we stay mum and watch our youth being shot and killed by police because of their involvement in crime,” he added.
Some of the positive initives to disentangle and detter youth from crime are continuous grassroots engagements between the youth and security agencies within Kisauni Subcounty.
