Murkomen blames declining family and religious values for cases of indiscipline among youth

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has attributed growing cases of indiscipline among young people to what he described as the failure of parents to invest time in raising their children and instilling religious values.

Speaking at a church event, Murkomen said many parents have become too busy with work and other commitments, leaving children to be raised by technology, television, and social media instead of family and faith-based institutions.

The CS questioned whether today's parents are dedicating the same level of attention to their children as previous generations did.

"Are we doing the same that was done by our parents to our children? Do we have time for them for Bible study? Do we have time to bring them to Sunday school?" Murkomen posed.

According to the Interior CS, the erosion of family involvement and religious upbringing has contributed to some of the social challenges facing the country, including cases of school unrest and violent behavior among students.

"If you see our children burning schools, burning their friends, doing the things they are doing, it is a reflection of the things we fail to do daily in our private closets to our children," he said.

Murkomen argued that parents often shift responsibility to government institutions when problems emerge, despite having primary responsibility for raising children.

"The government cannot bring up your children. The government cannot take your children to Sunday school. They cannot read the Bible to your children at home," he said.

The CS also expressed concern about the expectations parents place on schools, saying some assume teachers can compensate for shortcomings in parenting.

Drawing from his experience as a parent with children in school, Murkomen said today's teachers face their own personal and professional challenges and should not be expected to shoulder the full burden of raising children.

"You are busy with your job, thinking that paying school fees ends your responsibility to take care of your child," he said.

He further claimed that modern parenting practices have weakened teachers' authority, arguing that many parents oppose disciplinary measures and seek to negotiate school rules on behalf of their children.

As a result, Murkomen said, teachers have increasingly adopted a hands-off approach focused solely on classroom instruction rather than mentorship.

"Nobody's mentoring your child, nobody's talking to them," he said.

The Interior CS maintained that strengthening religious education and family engagement would help address some of the moral and social challenges affecting young people.

"The solution is in Sunday school. The solution is to have properly working churches and parents who can bring their children to the house of God where they can be taught in faith," Murkomen said.

His remarks come amid ongoing national conversations about youth behavior, school discipline, parenting, and the role of religious institutions in shaping values among young people.