Mount Kenya leaders meet over region's drunkenness

By Francis Ngige

It is now official that Central Kenya is drinking itself into oblivion, The Standard can authoritatively reveal.

Most affected are men, including the married lot who no longer have conjugal relations with their spouses, leading to fears schools might be extinct within the next 10 years as birth rates fall.

“In relation to excessive consumption of alcohol, Central Kenya is the hardest hit. This has resulted to slowed development, less productivity and reduced

birth rates,” said the chairman of the National Agency for the Campaign Against Drugs (Nacada), Dr Frank Njenga. A report by Nacada shows the prevalence rate of alcoholism in men stands at 34 per cent in Central Kenya.  Grim statistics unveiled by the agency confirmed the worst fears of leaders in a region where the number of bars outnumber schools by 20 per cent.

According to Nacada, there are over 5,000 bars selling alcohol directly to drinkers compared to 3,600 schools.

The number could be higher because many bars changed their licenses to restaurants and hotels in order to get around the Alcoholic Drinks Control Act (commonly known as the Mututho laws).

Restaurants and hotels are allowed by law to sell drinks any time of the day, as long as it is accompanied by food. Before the reclassification a year ago, the number of bars in the region was 9, 000 while the number of schools remained the same.

In the first quarter of this year alone, nearly 200,000 litres of illicit brew have been impounded in the region with 30 deaths reported.

Compromising fight

Although there have been efforts to reduce the number of bars, the problem has been compounded by complacency among some administrators and law enforcers.

About 15 administrators are already facing disciplinary cases, apparently for compromising the fight against the proliferation of bootleg liquor.

It is a region where drunken men staggering home confront children walking to school in the morning.

So bad is the situation that in some areas, men are stealing cereals from family granaries, which they take to bars in exchange for cheap, illicit alcohol.

As a result, families are falling apart, children dropping out of schools and mothers fear their husbands have been turned into vegetables.

So rife is alcoholism in the area that leaders and residents concerned at consumption of illicit brews have called for urgent measures to end the menace that has now assumed epidemic proportions.

But what worries Nacada even more is that local leaders in Central Kenya remain reluctant to accept the reality or lead the fight to stem the tide. Yesterday, Nacada officials led by the chairman Dr Njenga were surprised that a consultative meeting for local leaders on how to tackle the vice was skipped by all the local MPs.

Despite receiving invitations, the MPs gave the forum a wide berth, leaving a bitter taste in the mouths of the organisers.

It was at the forum that the figures on alcoholism were laid bare for the residents to appreciate the magnitude of the problem.

Reports from both Nacada and the provincial administration concluded that excessive consumption of alcohol in Central Kenya has reached crisis levels.

With about 3,000 litres of illicit brew being impounded on a daily basis in the region, Nacada wants the problem declared a national disaster. What has contributed to the trend is the fact that alcohol is readily accessible and affordable, the study shows.

A notable highlight in the report shows that in Nyandarua, the availability of the second-generation brews with alcoholic content of more than 40 per cent is placed at 82 per cent.

Those interviewed during the survey said they consumed alcohol because it is affordable and available in joints near their homes.

Apart from the illicit brews, the proliferation of second-generation brews in the region has baffled Nacada with most of the breweries located in the area.

Nacada chairman Dr Frank Njenga said it was disturbing that the seats reserved for MPs were empty, yet the public was looking up to them for leadership and guidance.

Little change

“This problem has persisted because we have allowed it to persist. Where are all the MPs? These are the people who are supposed to drive the agenda,” remarked Njenga.

He added: “At a time when we want this problem declared a national disaster, the MPs should be here to get these disturbing statistics.”

Njenga said despite awareness and concerted efforts aimed at fighting alcoholism, little behavioural change had been realised especially from the youth.

Local PC Kiplimo Rugut took the participants at the two-day forum through data collated by his office, indicating that a lot needs to be done to end the menace.

“The problem is bad in Kirinyaga, Kiambu and Nyandarua where consumption of alcohol has remained very high. We are working on reducing the number of outlets further,” said Rugut. He related an incident in Nyandarua where volunteers assisting in loading some impounded killer alcoholic drinks in a police truck consumed some of the brews and died.

The magnitude of the problem has caught the attention of President Kibaki who has used nearly all of his public engagements in the region to preach against consumption of illicit brews and alcoholism.

In April 2012, the Head of State was passionate as he urged both political and religious leaders to act quickly to save the region’s youth.