Garissa launches positive parenting programme to tackle teen violence

Governor Nathif Jama, alongside County Commissioner Mohamed Mwabudzo during the 61st Jamhuri Day celebrations at Garissa Primary Playground on December 12, 2024. (Photo: Issa Hussein)

By Issa Hussein
Thursday, December 12, 2024

Garissa Township Deputy County Commissioner Sebastian Okiring urged parents to guide and give their children the necessary attention and guidance against violence.

The Government is set to roll out a positive parenting training programme to address the increasing cases of teen violence in Garissa town.

Speaking during the Jamhuri Day celebrations in Garissa, Garissa Township Deputy County Commissioner Sebastian Okiring attributed the teen crime to parental failure.

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"The latest incident occurred on Wednesday where a religious leader going for morning prayers to a mosque was confronted by a gang of teenagers, some aged 12 years old, robbing him of a mobile phone. The National Positive Parenting Programme that targets parents and caregivers will soon kick off in Garissa," he said.

He urged parents to guide and give their children the necessary attention and guidance against violence.

Garissa County Commissioner Mohamed Mwabudzo urged parents to take responsibility for nurturing their children in line with their responsibilities for positive parenting.

He said the National Positive Parenting Programme would help to guide parents with challenges that could put children at risk of engaging in violence. He also encouraged the youth to join vocational training colleges to gain skills that promote sustainable livelihood.

"We have very lazy youth who don't want to work nor join vocational training for skills. They involve themselves in drugs, depend on their parents for upkeep and idly around in Garissa town. This is a very dangerous trend that needs to be addressed," he noted.

Locals during the 61st Jamhuri Day celebrations at Garissa Primary Playground on December 12, 2024. (Photo: Issa Hussein)

The county commissioner cited a case where none of the local youths in Garissa town were benefiting from the ongoing construction of the government national housing project that aims to create job opportunities for the local youth with artisan skills.

Garissa Governor Nathif Jama blamed the youth for their inability to change with the existing white-collar jobs and increased opportunities for the artisans' skills.

" The vocational training equipped by the government is grappling with low enrollment, thousands of people every morning cross Garissa Tana Bridge from the neighbouring Tana River county to come to Garissa town for manual labour and they go back in the evening with money in their pocket yet our youth disregard this job opportunity with contempt," said the governor.

The governor reacted to a remark made by Abdikadir Aden an environmentalist in Garissa who spoke at the Jamhuri Day celebrations that most of the youth committing violence were those whose parents were massively sacked by the county government when the governor took office.

Abdikadir told the governor to reinstate all sacked to address the teen violence.

The governor responded by saying the teen violence had nothing to do with the mass sacking carried out to address the high county wage bill.

" This teen violence is a result of poor parenting and youth who don't want to work or gain skills at the vocational training, we need a change of mindset, the county wage bill is currently at 52 per cent, and we cannot employ or reinstate anyone," he said.

The governor encouraged youth to join the vocational training colleges and learn artisan skills rather than waiting for government jobs.