Dorcas Gachagua urges leaders to empower and protect boy child

Second Lady Dorcas Gachagua. [Kelly Ayodi,Standard]

Second Lady Dorcas Gachagua has urged leaders to empower and protect the boy child in Kenya, citing alarming statistics that reveal the plight of men and boys in the country.

Speaking at a religious forum in Nairobi on Tuesday, August 22, the Second Lady noted that 87 per cent of inmates in Kenya are men and boys, while 51 per cent of cases pertaining to child neglect involve boys.

She also revealed that one in five Kenyans are involved in drug and substance abuse, with 89 per cent of the estimated 26,673 individuals who inject drugs in the country being men and boys.

Dorcas attributed the lack of male empowerment to societal expectations and peer pressure, which she said have led to men linking their masculinity to having multiple sexual partners, increasing their susceptibility to diseases like HIV and sexually transmitted infections.

The Second Lady noted that more girls (79.5 per cent) transition to secondary schools compared to (74.4 per cent) of boys.

"This creates a societal imbalance, which we must sort out right away by addressing the root cause," she said.

She called for a social movement that will reclaim and revive the dignity of the boy child. 

"We can do something, however small, to put action to our faith and save the boy child. I believe we can because we are people and now it is the time to do so,” she added.