Coast Regional Commissioner John Elungata wants parents in Tana River County to hand over radicalised children to the government for counselling.
Speaking in Handaraku village in the Tana Delta, Mr Elungata advised parents to seek help for such children “as their status is beyond home management”.
The administrator noted that whereas other habits among young people can be eliminated through counselling by elders and religious leaders, radicalised individuals are a unique category that requires special expertise to guide them back to normal lives.
“They are never in the state you can restore as a parent. They have been programmed to think and behave differently and only the government can undo what has been done to them,” he said.
Mr Elungata noted that radicalised individuals have been trained to live among people and study social patterns as they provide feedback to the enemies.
“You may assume that he is taking advice, that he is changing, but you must understand that he is not the same child, you lost him long ago and only we can bring him back to you,” he said.
He also urged parents to be alert in the election season and watch their children closely to ensure they are not involved with radical groups controlled by politicians.
He warned that security officers will not hesitate to use force on rogue youth used by politicians to incite violence.
“You cannot allow your child to talk back at an elderly politician. That is a sign of being radicalised. Talk to them early or we shall place them where they belong when the time comes,” he said.
Politicians were also asked to desist from using young people in their political schemes, noting that security agencies were on watch and would not hesitate to take action.
He noted that security agencies had been instructed to stay alert to ensure peaceful elections in the region and tame youth militias that may cause chaos.
“We shall be watching this county closely since it has a history of ethnic violence. We shall not allow these eight years of peace to be disturbed,” he said
Mr Elungata was accompanied by Garsen MP Ali Wario, who urged young people to engage in peaceful election campaigns so as to avoid getting in trouble with security agencies.
He called on all leaders vying for political seats to base campaigns on their agenda and desist from personal verbal attacks. BY DAILY NATION