Youth crime is at alarming proportions today thanks to a combination of factors, key among them unemployment, social disintegration and poor policing. For a growing number of males in certain social levels, there are few avenues for advancement outside taking other people’s property by force. With no positive role models, prospects of work and a fair chance their crimes may go unpunished, many feel they can take their chances at a life in crime.
The true epidemic they cause, however, is not really in violent crimes like robbery, carjacking and murder, but lower level property crimes like vandalism of public and private property for scrap or involvement in the production and sale of illegal intoxicants. These are a strain on society that holds back its development and contribute to the high numbers of youth going to jail for minor offences.
Experts say the bulk of Kenya’s prison population is made up of male youths from disadvantaged social and economic backgrounds.
Their presence there introduces them to worse influences and often begins a slippery slope into a life of crime, with the re-offending rate as high as one in two. Interventions to make crime less attractive and employment more likely are key to ending this cycle. To this end, we welcome efforts to fund social welfare, policing and employment creation activities in this year’s budget. Ensuring the limited resources available have the desired impact is the next big challenge.
