A concerned Kenyan father has sparked discussion on parenting and generational expectations after anonymously sharing a distressing account in a Facebook parenting group focused on teenage and young adult issues.
The post, shared in the “PARENTING Teenagers Hub for Kenyan Mums and Dads,” details how his 21-year-old son who was enrolled in a public university located approximately 420 kilometres from home allegedly dropped out during his second year and moved in with an older woman said to be 40 years old.
According to the father the family had consistently supported the young man financially since he joined university at 19 covering tuition fees and living expenses.
He expressed shock and disappointment after learning that his son had abandoned his studies without informing them
“As his Dad I have been paying his fees and providing him with money for all his needs” the post reads “I recently was SHOCKED to learn that he has dropped out in his second year and living with a much older woman aged 40 in the area of the university”
The father further revealed that attempts to engage his son have been unsuccessful stating that the young man insisted on being treated as an adult and requested to be left alone.
“He told me he is a man and that I leave him alone” he added noting that the situation has left the family devastated
The post has since generated widespread reactions online with parents and social media users divided over issues of parental control independence and age-gap relationships.
Some users expressed concern over the abrupt change in the student’s academic path while others emphasized the legal autonomy of adults aged 21