Miraa farming in Kenya is highly practiced in the old Nyambene region of Meru County where the climate and the soil favor its existence. Over the years, the practice of chewing miraa has been on rise especially among the youth. The major concern is the way school going children have ventured into the practice as chewers, casual workers and business practitioners. As a result, many health and social problems that have a likelihood of association with the practice have been increasing day in day out. The main objective in this research was to relate miraa chewing and its related activities with the several negative outcomes experienced among the users including; poor health profile, poor hygiene practices, mental related problems, school-dropout, criminal activities, poor performance in national examinations, laziness, involvement into other drugs like tobacco and alcohol. The study adopted a descriptive study design where 12 schools were picked randomly from Igembe North Sub-countyLaare Division. The analysis of the data collected through self-administered questionnaire became the basis for rejecting the null hypothesis. On analysis, the study found out that the prevalence of chewing miraa among school going children in Igembe North was 0.599. the major effects of miraa identified by the study included insomnia, teeth problems, stomach disorders, respiratory complications, complications of discipline in schools, poor examination performance and increasing the urge for abusing other drugs. The study recommended the government to put age limit for chewing miraa and define miraa activities given to children as child labour.

Miraa, qat, chat, cat, ghat or khat (Catha edulis), is a shrub indigenous to Eastern Africa and Arabic countries. It is cultivated in most Africa countries. Chewed miraa has sympathomimetic and euphoric effects and its chewing is a popular habit among some populations in Kenya. Habitual miraa chewing has been associated with oral lesions including oral cancer. It has also been associated with various toxic effects on the central nervous system, cardiovascular and reproductive system. In Kenya no data exists among the population that chew miraa of oral mucosal changes associated with miraa chewing.

Efforts to institute a system for the control and prohibition of khat in Kenya are examined in this article. Prohibition was introduced in the 1940s after an advocacy campaign led by prominent colonial officials. The legislation imposed a racialized view of the effect of khat, seeking to protect an allegedly ‘vulnerable’ community in the north of the country while allowing khat to be consumed and traded in other areas, including Meru where ‘traditional’ production and consumption was permitted. Colonial policy took little account of African opinion, although African agency was evident in the failure and ultimate collapse of the prohibition in the face of widespread smuggling and general infringement. Trade in khat became ever more lucrative, and in the final years of colonial rule economic arguments overcame the prohibition lobby. The imposition of prohibition and control indicates the extent to which colonial attitudes towards and beliefs about cultural behaviour among Africans shaped policies, but the story also illustrates the fundamental weakness of the colonial state in its failure to uphold the legislation.

The paper introduces khat as an Indian Ocean phenomenon, understandable only in historical perspective, and yet utterly contemporary. Its history frames contemporary issues: its rising popularity; the economic relief it brings farmers and traders; cultural significance as an identity marker; disdain, suspicion, and/or intolerance of it as a ‘drug.’ In this paper we explore regional linkages and disjunctures regarding these issues, examining khat use in the western Indian Ocean, especially in Madagascar and Kenya. We argue that certain global concerns link experiences of khat throughout the Indian Ocean region (and extend to expatriate communities from these countries throughout the world). These include global issues of the war on drugs, fear of Islamic terrorism, and the hegemony of the western economic development model. Individual histories of use, contemporary concerns, and contemporary cultural expressions also distinguish these experiences from each other in significant ways.

The HIV/AIDS epidemic has had a serious death toll in the World. It is a pandemic that affects every continent. Nowhere else has this been more prominent as in Sub-Sahara Africa where it poses a great threat to various aspects of development. The fight against HIV/AIDS has however gained more impetus with the realisation that young people especially girls are at risk and increasingly becoming susceptible to the AIDS menace. This threatens to undermine the great gains made in the Education for All (EFA) initiative and efforts already put in place to achieve gender equity. HIV/AIDS is not just a public health problem, it is a development crisis and countries have to reckon with the way the disease fracture and impoverish the society. It is an epidemic of an imaginable magnitude. Therefore, variant efforts including awareness creation must be made against the disease to reduce the massive infection rates. Consequently, a renewed commitment to fight the disease must put the ailment at the core of the agenda and take on board the new dimension and trend that the menace is taking, particularly as it affects vulnerable members of society. The impact of HIV/AIDS on girls’ education is particularly an important aspect in that education is the single most crucial asset that the society can bestow to its people especially the girls. It is therefore a great paradox that HIV/AIDS threatens this essential service. The HIV/AIDS menace effect on the girls is three fold: (1) girls are the first to drop out of school due to lack of fees; (2) girls are often forced to look after ailing relatives including parents at home; and, (3) girls and women are six times more likely to be infected with HIV/AIDS. HIV/AIDS is therefore a gender issue. This paper examines the vulnerability of girls and women and the youth to HIV/AIDS in Kenya and the effect this could have on education. It explores the devastating impact of AIDS, how this relates to sexuality and the youth and to girls and women. In addition, it highlights and expounds on the intervention strategies that have been initiated to curb the menace. The need to impart pupils and students with relevant life skills is particularly emphasized.

ABSTRACT Drug and substance abuse in the world in this 21st century is a worse disaster than HIV/Aids, cancer and famine combined (Kaguthi, 2004 cited by Murimi, 2012). In today’s society more and more adolescents are experimenting with using drugs regularly (Pretoria, 2000 cited by Murimi, 2012). This has amplified with globalization, changes in communication technology, changes in living styles and climate change. The worst still is when the menace has not only been pronounced in the urban settings as it was in the 18th to early 20th century but has been implanted in the rural settings too. In this note, drug and substance abuse is a problem that has raised concern all over the world. The purpose of this study therefore was to evaluate the effects of drug and substance abuse on youth development in Bangladesh village, Changamwe Constituency, Mombasa County, Kenya. The Study was guided by the following objectives: To examine the extent to which drug and substance abuse influences level of education among the youth in Bangladesh Village Changamwe Constituency, To find out the extent to which drug and substance abuse influences economic productivity among the youth in Bangladesh Village Changamwe Constituency, and, To examine the influence of drug and substance abuse on teenage pregnancies among the youth in Bangladesh Village Changamwe Constituency. A descriptive research design was adopted for the study since the study was a social research in nature. In the study a random sampling was used in accordance to the characteristics and the elements that the population possessed from location. The target population was about 190 youth who have formerly been associated with the major CBO that addresses youth issues in Changamwe but a population sample of 57 was used as calculated by the Mugenda and Mugenda (2003)’s recommendation of at least 30% threshold. A pilot study was conducted to check the instruments reliability and validity and a correlation figure over 0.7 was considered. The response saw a positive return of 54 questionnaires that were valid for the study. Data from the field was collected using a structured questionnaire which was administered personally and enumerators and picked them after they had been filled. The data then was sorted out, coded and analyzed using the SPSS version. From the information gotten, almost over 80% of the respondents supported the ideas that drug and substance abuse has led to early teen pregnancies, poor economic development, poor performance in schools in Changamwe’s Bangladesh and many more. In relation to the findings in chapter four, the researcher recommended a number of issues like NGO,CBOs, NACADA, county government and many more should come up with rehabilitation points at Changamwe, should come up with social education halls and should strengthen their strategies that are aimed at notifying the youths on effects of drugs .

School Safety is an integral and indispensable component of the teaching and learning process. Indeed no meaningful teaching and learning can take place in an environment that is unsafe and insecure to both learners and staff. It is therefore important that educational stakeholders foster safe and secure school environment (Republic of Kenya, 2008). In an apparent response to tragedies that hit schools in the last decade, Ministry of Education (MOE) introduced a Safety Standards Manual four years ago. However it is emerging that most schools have no capacity to handle emergencies and are yet to even implement Safety Standards Manual produced four years ago. The purpose of this study was to establish why school management is not fully implementing MOE Safety Standards and Guidelines in Public Secondary schools in Marani District, Kenya. The Government policies, administrative factors, disaster management and emergency facilities exemplify the independent variables while school safety exemplify the dependent variable. The objectives of the study were to: establish the safety situation, outline the main causes of disasters, examine the constraints in the implementation of safety measures and explore major strategies put in place to prevent occurrence of disasters in public secondary schools in Marani District, Kenya. The study adopted a descriptive survey design and data was collected using one questionnaire. The target population was 28 public secondary schools in Marani District. Stratified, purposive and simple random sampling was used to select the required sample of the study of 49 teachers. Reliability of instruments was determined by use of test-retest method. Validity of research instruments was determined by conducting pilot study before the actual study. Data was quantified using descriptive statistics like frequencies and percentages and finding presented in charts, tables and graphs. Thematic analysis was used to analyze qualitative data. The major findings of the study were the MOE safety standards and guidelines had not been fully implemented majorly due to inadequate funds and inadequate supervision. The major recommendations therefore were policy makers to follow up, monitor and evaluate safety situation in all educational institutions and provide funds to all schools to enhance disaster preparedness. Significantly the study findings underscore the importance of adhering to safety standards and guidelines in schools thus education policy makers and other stakeholders' must come up with strategies to sustain school safety to prevent occurrence of disasters in schools.