Chief turns 50 youngsters against illicit brew trade

Murang'a, Kenya: As the Government thinks of strategies to tame the illicit brew menace, one assistant chief is offering free lessons on how to deal with the vice.

 Peter Ng’ang’a, the senior assistant chief of Githunguchu sub-location in Gatundu South has defied all odds to win the war against illicit brew.

Through his astute negotiation skills, the administrator who quit his teaching job to join government, has managed to prevail upon 50 young men who were wasting away in liquor brewing and selling to abandon the illegal business.

 His success story comes shortly after nearly 100 people lost their lives and several others lost their sight after consuming a killer illicit brew. Central Kenya has been most affected by the rampant illicit brew with Kiambu County being one of the worst affected areas.

DEADLY BREW

 A case in point is a recent incident in Limuru where 11 people died after consuming a deadly brew.  Two years ago, similar incidents were reported in Thindigua, Ruiru, Banana, Muchatha and Thika.

 The administrator says he decided to use a different approach after the traditional method of charging illicit liquor brewers and sellers proved futile in eradicating the menace from the area.

 He however admits meeting the young fellows was not a walk in the park. Persistence and determination helped him achieve his goal. He even had to seek assistance from the parents of the targeted group and the village elders to convince them to meet him.

ILLEGAL BUSINESS

 “Initially, they refused to abandon the lucrative but illegal business maintaining it was their only source of income. They told me to my face that I had to offer them alternative well-paying jobs before they could agree to abandon the illegal business,” the chief said.

 Though he did not have ready jobs for them, he was armed with ideas he believed would change their lives for the better if they agreed to embrace them.

He has helped them register a Community-Based Organisation (CBO), Githunguchu Anti-Chang’aa and Drug Abuse.

 Through the CBO, the group is now involved in growing kales, tomatoes and bananas, besides dairy farming.

 Members of the  group are now happy that they can make money without having to watch their back from the long arm of the law.

“Arrests and endless trips to the courts were the order of the day. We would be arrested, taken to court, made to pay the fines and then return to the same business. We thank our chief for delivering us from that bondage,” said Geoffrey Chege the group chairman.

 Although the group has made substantial strides towards economic empowerment, capital remains one of their biggest challenges.