A religious leader from Isiolo county has called on the county government and other leaders from the county to convene a stakeholders forum to seek ways of helping the youth cope with unemployment and accompanying challenges.
The Inter-Faith Religious Organisation Chairman, Sheikh Ahmed Sett further called on the security organs to deal firmly with those involved in recruiting the youth into violent extremism and those supplying them with drugs.
“The health and social life of our youth has been negatively affected by the use of drugs and we call on the security organs to act decisively to deal with drug dealers. We also call on the members of the community to be vigilant and give information in order to eradicate the vice,” said the religious leader.
Sheikh Sett who was speaking on Friday shortly after Eid ul Fitr prayers held at the Isiolo stadium further called on the security organs to involve the Council of Imams in the war against drugs to make it more effective.
He lamented that drugs are penetrating into the county from as far as Ethiopia while the county government is in force with several police roadblocks along the Moyale Isiolo highway.
The religious leader further reminded the Muslim faithful who attended the prayers especially the youth that Eid ul Fitre is not a day to engage in indiscipline and immoral activities but a day of prayers and even the need to practice what was taught during Ramadhan for the next eleven months.
Speaking during the same event, the Isiolo Deputy Governor, Dr. Abdi IssaI said after Eid ul Fitr the county government will roll out a programme named the Youth Empowerment and Youth Mentorship to help the youth engage in productive activities.
The deputy governor further disclosed that the county government will empower women to enable them supplement their husbands in providing for their families and be better prepared to benefit from the many vision 2030 flagship projects taking shape in the county.
Meanwhile, needy Muslim families of Somali descent living in Isiolo have a reason to smile after receiving foodstuffs to enable them celebrate Idd ul Fitr in style equal to their well endowed brethren in their faith.
At least 40 needy families in Isiolo received various foodstuffs from Mombasa County governor Ali Hassan Joho through her Chief Officer for Finance, the Isiolo born, Ms. Aisha Abdi.
By David Mutwiri
