Alcohol related deaths jerk Kiambu leadership into action

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A string of alcohol related deaths in Ndumberi village in Kiambu has seen local leaders, including the area MP, spring to action to tame a phenomenon that is threatening to wipe out youngsters in the village.

The opinion shapers have brought their heads together in a bid to engage the youths who seem to have lost their way and have gone to seek refuge in alcoholism and drugs and the results have been death after death.

A spot check in Ndumberi shopping centre revealed the actual picture of the area, with tens of young men standing in the centre and already looking drunk and desperate.

Jane Njeri, a Ndumberi resident, told The Standard that alcoholism is threatening to make Ndumberi an area without a future as most young men are drowning in alcoholism and consequently, they are dying in droves.

“Every week we bury at least two men here, the wreaths don’t even weather before another death strikes, we are tired as a community, we even demonstrated against this vice and things did not cool off, I have not healed since we got a young man dead in the morning because of drinking, it is like someone is hell bent to finish us, we have girls here, who will marry them if all men are going to follow this route,” Njeri said.

 A youth in Ndumberi who sought anonymity and who is stuck in alcoholism told The Standard that he would really want to quit alcoholism, but there is no alternative to hold him.

“I'm sad because I know this is a road to destruction, but see every time I wake up, I have nothing to do, no one listens to me, it's an empty life. I am thanking Macua, our MP, because of this small gesture of engaging us; at least I will get home a little tired and straight to bed after games,” he said.

To approach the problem, the leaders have decided to kick off by engaging the youngsters and keeping them busy with games, more so indoor games, even as a lasting solution is being sought.

Area MP Macua Waithaka, whose attention has also been drawn, said that as leaders they cannot ignore the challenges facing youths today.

“We have witnessed rising levels of idleness, hopelessness, drug abuse, and alcoholism. Sadly, in Kiambu Constituency we continue to lose young lives to alcoholism with alarming frequency. This is a tragedy that demands action and not just words,” Macua said

The legislator added that there is an old saying that an idle mind is the devil's workshop. When young people lack constructive engagement, many become vulnerable to destructive habits, but when they are given opportunities, mentorship, and a sense of purpose, they become innovators, champions, entrepreneurs, and responsible citizens.

“We want to engage them with all manner of games as we seek to understand what is this that is drawing them to their early deaths, to this end we have organized several games mostly indoor games like chess, darts, scramble and table tennis and even tagged some prize on winners to encourage them and am happy we have started well, we have over 1500 young men and women who are here with us,” Macua said.

Macua said that the championship is therefore an investment in young people and a platform for empowerment, discipline, mental wellness, teamwork, and leadership.

“Indoor games are not merely recreational activities; they develop strategic thinking, patience, concentration, confidence, and resilience, qualities that are essential for success in life,” Macua said.

In a bid to spring the youths to national limelight in the games and who will have shown talents in Ndumberi, the leader has called in Chess Kenya Federation, the Kenya Scrabble Association, the Kenya Darts Association, the Kenya Table Tennis Association, and the Kenya Draughts Association, among other stakeholders, to come and assist in training and identifying them.

“Our dream does not end with local championships; we want to see young men and women from this proudly wearing the Kenyan flag as they represent our country in regional, continental, and global competitions. We want future national champions, African champions, and world champions to emerge from this constituency after they discard and forget about alcohol and drugs,” Macua said

Jospine Waithiru, a professional counsellor from Kiambu, said that tackling alcoholism requires a concerted effort by all and addressing issues where some are tackled in community homes so that we have the right home systems.

“There are several factors that can lead to alcoholism including psychological factors like depression, anxiety and bipoloar disorder and people use alcohol to self-medicate themselves in bid to nub emotional pain and before long they are addicted, but what could be the strongest factor in Ndumberi could be unemployment, poverty and lack of anything that can engage the youths during day time and alcohol becomes an easy route and therefore in they get engaged we can reduce the deaths significantly,” Waithiru said.