Shock as pupils arrive at school drunk

Several pupils from Itithini Primary School in Ukia ward, Kaiti constituency, Makueni, today reported to school drunk.

Head teacher Joel Mwongela has blamed parents.

He said some of them have schoolgoing children but still get involved in preparing local brew famously known as “Karubu”.

The children in Garde I, II and III arrived in school intoxicated.

Upon investigations, the teachers realised the children found the alcohol in the bush the previous night and drunk it.

Authorities convened a meeting at the school to discuss the matter further.

“We got a report that pupils found Karubu in the bush and shared amongst themselves. We had to call their parents," Mwongela said.

He continued, “When I was posted in this school last year I met parents and we discussed the issue of alcohol brewing."

Villages, where alcohol brewing has disrupted lives, are Wanziu, Ua, Itithini and Kaseveni.

Bernard Kyalo, a parent in the school, said unemployment has fuelled the sale of traditional brew.

“These pupils drunk so much that it was hard to walk to school. Let the government teach the people here on how best they can use sugarcane other than using it in manufacturing traditional brew."

Kaiti constituency MP Joshua Kimilu asked the government to arrest notorious brewers.

He said most of the pupils in the villages have not been attending school because they stay at home to help their parents run the brewing business.

Women residents said their husbands have neglected their family responsibilities, spending all their time in the brew dens.

A man recently killed his two-year-old and hang himself after a domestic fight said to have been fuelled by alcoholism.