Dorcas Rigathi warns of youth substance abuse crisis in Kenya

Former Second Lady Rev. Dorcas Rigathi has raised alarms regarding a growing crisis of alcohol and drug abuse among Kenyan youth. Speaking to a group of women in Worcester, Massachusetts, she warned that substance abuse is devastating families and contributing to rising rates of suicide, crime, and road accidents.

Rigathi claimed that approximately 90 percent of those affected are males, describing a specific crisis facing the 'boy child.' She alleged that by the end of her tenure in office, half of university students were struggling with substance abuse and claimed that at least ten university students were dying by suicide daily. These specific figures have not been independently verified.

In Central Kenya, Rigathi noted that religious leaders are increasingly overwhelmed by the frequency of burials for young men dying from alcohol-related complications. She also linked intoxication to increased road accidents involving matatu and boda boda operators, which she stated has led to numerous deaths and permanent disabilities. Furthermore, she argued that substance abuse contributes to gender-based violence and economic hardship by leaving families without breadwinners.