Narok Governor Patrick Ntutu has called on parents to protect their children during this long holiday season against retrogressive cultural practices that are outlawed in the country.
Ntutu challenged the elders to give guidance and counselling to the young generation so that they can become responsible people in the society.
He spoke at a traditional Manyattaa in Rotian area, Narok North Sub County where hundreds of morans are gathered to undergo the rite of passage from youth to adulthood.
The governor observed that numerous cases of school dropout due to early marriages, teenage pregnancies and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) are reported in the county, asking the elders to help curb the trend in the county.
‘We are asking the parents to take their parental role of guiding their children, especially the girl child, this long holiday. This county is known of many cases of teenage pregnancy and FGM which are impacting negatively to the school performance,’ he said.
The governor also took issue with the
young morans who are incited to steal livestock from their neighbourhood and transport them to other counties saying this is a bad practice that should be dropped.
‘We do not want to hear cases of morans stealing sheep, goats or cows again. We want to live like our forefathers did, where incidents of theft were never heard,’ he said.
He called on the young men to engage in productive business like farming and small businesses that will give them a huge return.
On her part, Narok North Member of Parliament Ms. Agnes Pareyio, who accompanied governor Ntutu asked the society to protect the girl child from any form of violence as she has the potential of advancing in her studies and becoming a great leader just like the boy child.
‘Let us embrace our girls and support them to have a decent future so that she can achieve her dreams,’ she said.
Source: Kenya News Agency