Parents urged to take active role in upbringing children

Parents in Bumula Sub-County, Bungoma County have been asked to guide and mentor their children to help reduce growing cases of insecurity, drug abuse and moral decay among youths.

Area Deputy County Commissioner (DCC) Hadia Salim Abdalah expressed concern over the increasing number of social vices among the youth, attributing them to inadequate parental guidance.

Speaking to KNA, Abdalah cited unrest in schools and institutions of higher learning due to poor parenting and an uncaring society and called for concerted efforts among stakeholders to curb the vices.

She noted that many parents fail to create time to engage with their children and understand the challenges they face and advised parents and guardians to befriend and create time to be with students, especially when schools close for holidays.

“Parents should take time to talk to their children and monitor their behaviour. They need to know the kind of friends their children associate with and ensure they are not drawn into harmful activities,” she said.

The DCC further called on community leaders, parents, and other stakeholders to hold discussions aimed at identifying the factors contributing to the moral decadence among young people and finding solutions.

At the same time, she cautioned youths against allowing themselves to be manipulated by politicians to engage in violence and other unlawful activities.

By Pacifica Wafula and Catherine Nyongesa