Embu County Commissioner Stephen Kihara has vouched for a multi-agency team in fighting illicit liquor and crime in Embu saying that the vices can only be fought through partnership.
Speaking at Talent Academy Embu after a meeting with the National Government Administration Officers (NGAO) Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) and Embu Director of Children Services, the CC said that his meeting with the team was necessitated by the need to have a Rapid Results Initiative (RRI) in the fight against illicit liquor, crime and school dropout among the school going children in Embu.
The Commissioner said he invited an officer from KEBS so that he could train the National Government Administration Officers (NGAOs) on identifying counterfeit liquor to help them in fighting the sale of counterfeit liquor in various parts of the county.
He said this citing the case of Cianyi village in Mbeere North where five people died after consuming illicit liquor and several people were admitted in hospitals.
The Commissioner added that he invited the Director of Children Services because he noticed that many school going children in Mbeere North, Embu are dropping out of schools and engaging in muguka farming and sand harvesting.
He added that if school dropout is not fought in the county, it can lead to a pool of young people in the county who are not educated which in turn will expose the youths to engage in crime.
“We have agreed with the multi-agency team to make sure that every school going child must be in school and should not engage in muguka selling or sand harvesting. We don’t want to have a generation of young people in the next ten years that are gangsters,” said the County Commissioner.
Kihara also said that the multi-agency team will engage nyumba kumi initiative and religious leaders in the fight against illicit liquor, crime and school dropout.
He said this citing the increased cases of crime in various parts of the county where several cases of mugging and house breakage have been reported.
The County Commissioner gave a warning to National Government Administration Officers (NGAOs) and police officers who have been receiving bribes to collude with individuals selling illicit liquor saying that stern action will be taken against them.
In a meeting where the CC was familiarising himself with the National Government Administration Officers (NGAOs), the Commissioner said that the NGAOs, chiefs and nyumba kumi initiative elders have always had challenges in addressing school dropout in Mbeere North where muguka farming and sand harvesting has thrived because school going children are always given their own land to plant muguka while in standard five.
By Justus Anzaya
