The National Council for Childrens' Services has called for a total ban of jam sessions to protect children from dangerous sexual practices and drug abuse.
In an advertisement on the Kenyan dailies, the council called on parents and guardians to monitor their children at all times and guide them on appropriate leisure activities. They also called for strict enforcement of the Alcoholic Drinks Control Act adding that clubs found flouting the rule of admitting children should be closed and their owners prosecuted.
The council also called on the media, schools, religious organizations and prominent personalities to create awareness against the vice and sensitize children to be responsible for their behavior.
Jam sessions are music extravaganzas held in clubs mostly frequented by young people in schools both in urban and rural areas.
During such sessions, the council said, many youths start abusing drugs in the clubs as they are exposed to alcohol, cigarettes and even hard drugs. It noted that drug peddlers used the sessions to enlarge their market by introducing unsuspecting youth to drugs who after few days of free doses end up getting addicted.
"While in these clubs, these children are also exposed to risky sexual practices thus exposing them to unplanned pregnancies and risk of contracting HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases," the council said adding that adults take advantage of the children and solicit for unprotected sex with them leading to some dying while procuring abortions.
The council further said that the youth engaged in criminal activities while leaving the clubs, snatching bags and mobile phones from the unsuspecting public and in the process inflicting injuries using knives and other weapons.
The council observed that in other areas, children sought permission to attend house parties, funeral discos and religious camps some of which were venues for them to engage in all kinds of experimentations.
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