Elgeyo Marakwet County government has launched a sports tournament as part of a youth empowerment programme for talent identification, drug abuse awareness and rehabilitation of addicts.
Addressing the press in his office the County Executive Committee Member for Sports, Youth, ICT and Social Services Kiprono Chepkok said that the programme is set to empower more youths to engage in sporting activities as a way of keeping them occupied.
He said that the tournament is part of the youth empowerment programme that was established through the Ward Development Committee.
“Its aim is to ensure that all our youth are empowered and to ensure that we get rid of drug and substance abuse within our community,” Chepkok further said.
He noted that there has been a rise in cases of Gender Based Violence in households across the county especially since the Covid-19 pandemic hit the county and thus the tournaments will be used to sensitise the community on the vices.
The CEC further said that Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is still rampant in some wards in the county adding that government will use the tournaments to engage with the local community and local leaders to put an end to the practice.
He called on men to take part in the fight against the backward practice saying the practice should be extinct by 2022 as per the presidential directive.
The football tournament is expected to increase awareness on the issue of drug abuse, FGM and Gender Based Violence to citizens of Elgeyo Marakwet County.
By Walter Kibet
