Crime among the youth can be stopped through probation, says officer

Crime among the youth can be stopped through probation, says officer


They are expected to be the future leaders of our country yet most of the youth from Bungoma County instead of building their future through education are busy engaging themselves in criminal activities. 

Although there has been a rapid increase of criminal offences involving the youth there is still hope to salvage the situation if addressed by the right channels.

 Some of these issues can be directed to the probation officers who deal with guiding and counseling convicted offenders in the society and by providing a means of rehabilitation. The probation department which is under the ministry of Home Affairs although not acknowledged for the services they provide in the country is the best solution to help in eradicating lawlessness among the youth instead of sending them to prison.    

 The Field Probation Officer who is also the acting deputy Probation Officer in Bungoma south district Mr. Kirwa Tuwei said that the probation officers comes into play after the judge decides that the offenders are best served under probation or community service order after determining the nature of the offence, the age of the offender, health status of the offender and the relationship between the offender and the complainant. 

Mr. Tuwei said that there has been a rapid increase of cases involving minors misbehaving in public in Bungoma County especially in Bumula and Sang’alo areas whereby most of the juvenile offenders arraigned in court are accused of being involved in robbery, rape and disturbing the public peace while drunk. 

He attributed marriage break ups in the community as being one of the leading causes of these criminal activities among the youth. 

“Most residents from this community get married at an early age thus getting divorced later on. This has resulted in kids being left with one or no parent causing them to turn to the streets which is a haven for all sorts of criminal activities,” said Tuwei. 

He said that poverty has also played a major role in the rise of these criminal activities. He said that many Kenyans from the region live below the poverty line as they cannot even afford the basic necessities hence has led them to steal as a means of providing for their daily up keep. 

He acknowledged that lack of knowledge and negative altitudes has hindered development in the region. 

Even though young people are taught to appreciate their cultural backgrounds; some of the traditional believes promote lawlessness among the youth for instance after circumcision the young boys are taught that they are now grown men which has made some of them drop out of school and getting married at a tender age when they are not well equipped to handle family issues. 

The probation department in conjunction with the courts decides whether these offenders are sentenced to home arrest under the supervision of probation officers or given community service to give service to their community as a way of paying for the crimes they committed. 

In the most serious of offences the accused are send to correctional institutions like the Boston institute, Kimumu boys’ hostels in Eldoret, Nakuru girls’ hostels which train them in fields such carpentry, tailoring, farming, brick making and wiring as a way of equipping them with skills to help them find employment and be able to function as normal members of the society. 

The Boston Institute also provides primary education from class six to eight thus enabling these youngsters to complete their primary education and be able to join secondary schools to better their future. 

Mr. Tuwei said that some of the challenges they face as a department while handling these cases are lack of funds, corruption, being understaffed, ignorance and negative altitude of the community which hinders them from carrying out their work and language barrier. 

He urged parents to cater for children by providing them with basic needs such as shelter, food, security and education. He added that parents should have a close relationship with their children and guide them according to the values of the society.

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