Nakuru County is championing the empowerment of the boy child to promote the boys’ well-being and retention in educational institutions.
The County Chief Officer for Resource Mobilisation, Ms. Alice Abuki, said the County government was prioritising the rights of the boy child through public-private partnerships towards ensuring the boys’ retention in educational institutions, fighting drug and substance abuse, and promoting their mental health wellness.
While acknowledging that the Kenyan society had given the girl child a lot of focus, forgetting the boys, the Chief Officer said the County government was keen to rectify the scenario, adding that it was time the society took a bold step to campaign for the cause of the boy child through an all-inclusive approach.
Abuki spoke during a meeting to explore ways of strengthening collaboration with Manna Bay Foundation, an organisation dedicated to empowering boys and young men through mental health support, education, and economic opportunities.
Manna Bay Foundation also empowers boys with life skills and mentorship programmes. Through workshops and mentorship sessions, boys are equipped with the tools needed to navigate challenges, make informed decisions, and build a positive future.
Abuki said the boy child and young men needed to be equipped with the capacity to control their mental health to promote a fulfilling life for both genders and provide an atmosphere conducive to the development of society.
“Research has shown that there is an intersection between mental health and empowerment. A dent in one stifles the other, resulting in serious implications for humanity,” the official explained.
Social Services and Inclusivity Chief Officer Ms. Gladys Kamuren underscored the need to shift focus to boys’ empowerment while not forgetting the girls to have a balanced society.
Kamuren called on NGOs, the religious community and the private sector, among other stakeholders, to support both levels of the government’s initiatives in mentorship programmes that could build boys’ confidence and self-esteem.
She observed that adolescent boys and young men played a crucial role in promoting gender equality, especially in Kenya, where they formed the majority, adding that men and boys should be included in gender equality discussions.
Public Health Chief Officer Ms. Joyce Ncece affirmed the County’s commitment to exploring medical outreaches within communities to address cultural, policy, and legal barriers towards enhancing positive behaviours and uptake of health services among boys and men.
Ncece stated that they were using approaches that fully resource, mentor, and build capacities for meaningful engagement and behaviour changes for boys’ health interventions.
“We have Strategies that optimise and expand access to early intervention and quality treatment health services for men and boys as clients and supportive partners,” she pointed out.
County Chief Officer for ICT, e-Govt and Public Communication, Ms. Catherine Changwony, encouraged boys to exploit their academic potential to enable them to succeed in life.
Changwony told the boys from underprivileged backgrounds to shun being discouraged by poverty in their families and instead work hard because they were the people who would emancipate their families from poverty.
There have been renewed calls to leaders to empower and protect the boy child in Kenya against the background of alarming statistics that revealed the plight of men and boys in the country.
Official statistics indicate that 87 per cent of inmates in Kenya are men and boys, while 51 per cent of cases pertaining to child neglect involved boys.
Social scientists have pointed out that 20 years ago, the community lost the boy child after focused attention and resources were centred on the girl child, a move that was fast-tracked by Non-Governmental Organizations.
By Esther Mwangi