Ghost in our phones: Betting is eating our children alive

Kenya is facing a silent crisis. Millions of shillings are lost through gambling every day, while millions of Kenyans increasingly depend on mobile loans to survive. Behind every betting advert promising instant riches and every loan approved within seconds lies a dangerous reality: a generation caught between the illusion of easy money and the burden of growing debt.

From Turkana to Kwale, young people are struggling with unemployment, rising living costs and limited opportunities. Yet their smartphones offer two tempting shortcuts: Mobile loans for instant borrowing and gambling platforms for supposed quick riches. What begins as convenience or entertainment can easily become a destructive cycle of debt, financial distress and broken dreams.

As an elder who has witnessed Kenya's transformation through successive administrations, I believe we must confront this problem before it compromises our children's future. Our youth are not lazy. Many are educated, talented and ambitious, but lack meaningful opportunities to turn their skills into productive livelihoods.

Betting thrives where hope is limited and desperation is high. Social media is flooded with images of luxury cars, expensive lifestyles and supposed jackpot winners. What remains hidden are thousands of young people losing their savings while chasing unrealistic dreams. A betting application can promise instant rewards, but sustainable employment requires patience, skills and opportunity.

Mobile lending presents another challenge. It can provide emergency financial assistance, but repeatedly borrowing to pay rent, buy food or meet daily expenses creates dependency. When borrowed money is used for gambling, the consequences become even worse. Families lose money meant for school fees, healthcare and basic necessities.

The effects extend beyond individuals. Families experience conflict, students risk their education and young entrepreneurs lose the opportunity to save and invest. We must, therefore, treat harmful gambling and irresponsible borrowing as serious social and economic challenges.

However, condemning betting without providing alternatives will not solve the problem. The real solution lies in employment, production, innovation and entrepreneurship.

Kenya's 47 counties possess resources that can create thousands of opportunities. The Coast has coconut, cashew nuts and marine resources. Makueni and Kitui have mangoes and honey, while Murang'a and Kiambu produce avocados and macadamia nuts. These resources should become engines of local manufacturing rather than leave communities as raw-material suppliers.

Imagine coconut-processing factories in Kilifi, mango-processing plants in Makueni and milk-processing cooperatives in agricultural counties. Such enterprises could create jobs, strengthen farmers' incomes and give young people an alternative to gambling.

I propose a structured youth production programme involving county governments, the national government and youth cooperatives. Counties could provide land and infrastructure, the national government machinery and technical support, while young people participate through ownership and employment.

A proposed ownership model could allocate 40 per cent to county governments, 40 per cent to the national government and 20 per cent to youth cooperatives. Such arrangements would require proper legislation, transparent management and independent financial oversight to protect public resources and ensure accountability.

Government must also strengthen gambling regulations, restrict advertisements targeting young audiences, enforce age limits and ensure that gambling risks are clearly communicated. Mobile lenders should promote responsible borrowing through transparent charges and affordability assessments.

Parliament should also consider directing an agreed portion of gambling-related tax revenue towards vocational training, youth enterprises and productive investment, supported by independent audits.

Parents, schools, religious institutions and community leaders must educate young people about financial discipline, responsible technology use and the dangers of gambling.

Our smartphones should connect farmers to markets, photographers to clients and entrepreneurs to customers, not become gateways to endless borrowing and gambling addiction.

To our leaders, the responsibility is clear: turn county resources into opportunities. To our young people, use technology to build businesses and skills rather than chase instant riches.

Our children need jobs, not jackpots; opportunities, not endless loans; and hope grounded in reality, not gambling promises.

Kenya's future must be built through productive work, innovation and responsible leadership, not decided by the next betting round.

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Mr Mohamed Sheikh Hamo is an elder based in Mombasa