By Arnold Ageta
Nyamira County MP Jerusha Momanyi has raised the alarm over rising alcohol abuse in rural areas, warning that illicit brews are fuelling the breakdown of families and exposing children to sexual abuse and teenage pregnancies.
Momanyi said the growing alcohol problem was undermining family values and threatening the future of young people, citing the case of a Grade 10 girl who was allegedly impregnated twice by a relative.
She spoke during an empowerment programme in Magwagwa Ward, where she called for concerted action to protect children and tackle alcohol and drug abuse in the county.
“The Grade 10 student was first impregnated when she was nine years old and again now that she is in senior school, killing her dreams,” Momanyi said.
She warned residents against consuming illicit brews, saying some are produced using industrial ethanol rather than traditional brewing methods.
Momanyi said the widespread abuse of alcohol and drugs was weakening families and undermining efforts to improve the welfare of children.
The NACADA county coordinator in Nyamira, Jemima Auka, said development would remain difficult to achieve if illicit brews and drug abuse continued to affect communities.
Ms Auka said the government had recently established an office in Nyamira following an increase in cases of alcohol and drug abuse in the county.
“We need to join hands with NACADA and the Ministry of Interior and National Administration in fighting drug abuse in our society,” she said.
Ms Auka said alcohol and drug abuse were also affecting children’s education and family responsibilities.
“Drug abuse and illicit brews destroy the foundations of families, directly affecting the education of our children and, in turn, the development of our society,” said Ms Auka.
She urged mothers to mentor their daughters and protect them from adults who prey on vulnerable children.
“It is worrying when you find a drunk woman, yet she is the one who is supposed to take care of her children and nurture them,” she said.
Ms Auka commended Momanyi’s empowerment programmes, saying they were helping young people engage in income-generating activities rather than alcohol and drug abuse.
Momanyi urged residents to take collective responsibility for protecting children, supporting their education and creating opportunities for young people.
“Let us carry each other’s burdens and make sure our children get an education as we prepare them for a better tomorrow,” she said.
She also called for action against people who prey on children and seek to derail their future.
During the event, Momanyi distributed blankets to elderly residents and issued tents and cheques to groups in Magwagwa Ward.
Magwagwa Stage B was among the beneficiaries, receiving a cheque worth KSh134,400. Momanyi urged the group to continue with table banking to grow its savings and improve the livelihoods of its members.
