Meru Women Rep Battles Youth Addiction Rate with Urgent Revolutionary Campaign » Capital News

MERU, Kenya, Jul 2 – Armed with shocking statistics and a mother’s determination, Meru Women Representative Hon. Karambu Kailemia has declared war on what she describes as Kenya’s most devastating youth crisis, launching an ambitious campaign to reach tens of thousands of young people in Meru County.

Breaking from traditional anti-drug campaigns that rely on scare tactics and punishment, #KasoberTunawezabila introduces a new era of intervention by positioning youth as change agents rather than victims.

The year-long programme will mobilise local talent—musicians, athletes, artists and community leaders—to spearhead peer-driven awareness campaigns, talent showcases, mentorship programmes and economic empowerment initiatives.

“This is the first campaign of its kind in Meru County,” Hon. Kailemia explained. “We’re not preaching to these young people—we’re empowering them to lead their own recovery and prevention efforts.”

The approach addresses a critical gap identified by social workers: many struggling youth lack family support systems and respond better to peer intervention than authority figures. Hon. Kailemia’s strategy centres on what she calls “practical motherhood”—offering unconditional support while demanding accountability.

“We are losing an entire generation,” Hon. Kailemia declared at the campaign launch, attended by hundreds of young people. “Young people are diverting their limited earnings toward vices such as gambling and drug abuse, rather than purchasing necessities like vegetables, perpetuating cycles of poverty.”

“I see myself as a real mother to you; most of you are like my last-born since you’re under 30,” she told the visibly moved audience, many wiping away tears. “My office door remains open for individual support and guidance—but you must be willing to fight for your future.”

This maternal positioning has proven effective in her Gender-Based Violence campaign, launched in Meru North earlier this year. Plans are underway to expand that programme county-wide, recognising the interconnected nature of social challenges. The campaign directly targets the irresponsible gambling epidemic that has compounded traditional drug problems. Mobile betting platforms have created new addiction pathways, with youth spending meagre incomes on gambling apps rather than food.

Social workers report cases of young people borrowing money for basic meals after losing wages to betting, creating debt cycles that drive further substance abuse.

“When a young person chooses betting over buying sukuma wiki, we have failed as a society,” Hon. Kailemia stated.

The timing coincides with Kenya’s mounting youth crisis: unemployment rates exceeding 20%, limited opportunities, and deteriorating mental health services—all factors fuelling addiction rates. With addiction rates approaching 90% in some demographics, failure is not an option for Meru County. The campaign represents what many see as a last-chance intervention before losing an entire generation to substances and gambling.

“There is still so much more to do,” Hon. Kailemia acknowledged. “But this is our line in the sand—we refuse to surrender our children to addiction.”

The #KasoberTunawezabila campaign will officially feature community events scheduled across all six constituencies, with plans underway to set up a rehabilitation centre to support the initiative.

As Kenya grapples with its youth addiction crisis, all eyes will be on Meru County to see if revolutionary compassion can succeed where conventional wisdom has failed.