It is painful to lose a voter. It is painful to lose a loved one. It is sad to lose a life. It is tragic to lose and bury 17 people in one fell swoop. It is scandalous if the 17 deaths could be avoided but they were let to happen. It is immoral when the deaths were caused by an individual's greed. It is bad.
Kirinyaga county recently lost 17 souls to poisoned alcohol. Governor Anne Waiguri and Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua led the people of county in mourning the dead. The two leaders attended the burial ceremony at Kangai and Kandongu villages in Mwea West subcounty on the Saturday, February 17. It was a sad day for the county and the country.
Then the speeches began.
The DP's hate for alcoholic drinks is legendary. He and his spouse have made it one of their missions to fight the habit. They do it so diligently and purposely that hardly a day goes without them engaging in one activity or another geared towards alleviating the alcoholism and mending what they perceive to have been broken by the vice.
The duo also run an alcoholics rehabilitation programme under the Office of the Second Lady. The Second Family does not take prisoners when it comes to fighting the inebriating drinks, especially in what they call the Mt Kenya region. So, his fury at the burial in Kirinyaga was expected. The vice he has been furiously fighting since assuming the second highest office in the country some two years ago had claimed some 17 lives in his target area.
What a blow.
Expectedly, there was to be someone to blame. Gachagua chose the Judiciary who he accused for being “one-sided” while giving judgements in alcohol-related cases as they favour the traders against the victim consumers. The DP promised to take pictures of the dead and their coffins and send them to Chief Justice Martha Koome “so that she can tell her people to allow governors to deal with this problem”.
Never mind the fact that in this case, the culprits were the corrupt police. We are informed investigations revealed the alcohol consumed by the victims was confiscated liquor stored at the Kiamaciri police station as exhibit.
The lethal brew is reportedly said to have been stored at the station before some rogue officers sold it to another merchant of death who sold it to the retailer who eventually sold it to the victims. But the Judiciary must take the flak, “because they have been issuing ex-parte orders which are one-sided. All this illicit alcohol being sold in the country has been allowed by the courts. We (DP and probably the Executive) are wondering: are the courts really helping or are they making things worse?”
But it is Waiguru’s reaction that baffles most.
The governor, the head of the institution that is legally mandated to regulate and license alcoholic drinks and trade thereof in the county, chose to close all the bars to prevent such deaths in the future and invited the DP to help her in keeping the houses of death closed.
Such knee-jerk reactions fail to address the root causes of the problem and may inadvertently exacerbate the situation. Instead, it's time for Kenya to consider a more pragmatic approach: the legalisation and commercialisation of traditional brews like chang'aa, busaa and muratina, akin to what our neighbours in Uganda and Tanzania have successfully implemented with waragi and konyagi, respectively.
Closing licensed bars is a short-sighted response that penalises law-abiding businesses while doing little to curb the illicit alcohol trade. Prohibition has historically proven to be ineffective, driving the production and consumption of alcohol underground where it becomes even more dangerous due to lack of regulation and oversight. By criminalising traditional brewing methods, authorities inadvertently push producers to cut corners, leading to the use of toxic substances and the proliferation of killer brews. The tragedy in Kirinyaga serves as a grim reminder of the deadly consequences of such policies.
Legalisation and commercialisation offer a more sensible alternative. By bringing traditional brews into the formal economy, the government can implement quality control measures and enforce health and safety standards. Licensed producers would be subject to inspections and regulations, ensuring that the beverages they produce are safe for consumption. Moreover, by legalising traditional brews, county governments can generate much-needed revenue through taxation, which can be allocated towards public health initiatives and substance abuse treatment programmes.
Critics may argue that legalising traditional brews would condone alcoholism and exacerbate social problems. However, the reality is that alcohol consumption is already prevalent in Kenyan society, regardless of its legal status. Prohibition has done little to curb alcohol abuse; instead, it has driven the trade underground, making it difficult to address issues of addiction and promote responsible drinking practices. Legalisation would allow for greater transparency and accountability, enabling authorities to implement targeted interventions to address alcohol-related harm.
Furthermore, legalising traditional brews would empower local communities and small-scale producers, providing them with economic opportunities and formalising an industry that has long been marginalised. In countries like Uganda and Tanzania, the commercialisation of traditional brews has created jobs and stimulated economic growth in rural areas, where agriculture and traditional brewing are often the primary sources of livelihood. By harnessing the potential of traditional brews, Kenya can promote inclusive economic development and empower local entrepreneurs.
Of course, legalisation alone is not a panacea for all the challenges associated with alcohol consumption. It must be accompanied by robust regulation, public education campaigns and investment in healthcare infrastructure. The government must work closely with stakeholders, including traditional brewers, public health experts and law enforcement agencies, to develop comprehensive policies that prioritise public safety while respecting cultural traditions.
The writer is a political commentator