Granny, 85, mourns loss of seven sons to illicit brew

Grace Wahu, 85, had the rare privilege of welcoming the deputy president Rigathi Gachagua in her home in Kongo-ini village, Murang’a County.

But it was not a happy visit. Wahu caught the attention of Gachagua after losing her seven sons to alcoholism.

She sorrowfully narrated how her sons battled addiction for years and were eventually sent to an early grave.

This, she said, is despite her best effort to give them a good education.

One son went to Murang’a High School and another to Aquinas Boys High School in Nairobi.

Her hope was that they would grow up to drive big cars and live large, and visit her with loads of shopping.

Instead, she has to contend with their graves every time she gets out of her house. Their father died while they were young.

“I wake up and see their graves and ask God, why did you give me strength to do all that hard work only to face their graves?” she said.

Wahu now lives with her daughter, a casual labourer, who struggles to support her.

Her sons’ deaths caused her to suffer from diabetes and hypertension, and doctors tell her to feed well to manage them.

“She only earns Sh300 per day and only works four days in a week sometimes. Sometimes, I can’t eat the food that is available because of my condition,” she said.

Wahu narrated how her sons who died at various intervals would wake up in the morning and head to Mukuyu market near Murang’a town before taking breakfast.

Drinking on an empty stomach, they would eventually fall sick and doctors would caution them to stop drinking to no avail.

“The rest would see one get sick and still continue drinking. You wonder what sort of drinking that is. One was taken to a rehabilitation centre and got better but when he came back home, he resumed drinking”.

Two of the sons left behind four children who are all jobless.

Wahu pleaded with Gachagua to continue with the fight and ensure alcoholic drinks packaged in small bottles are eradicated.

“I have told the deputy president to continue fighting brews so that those that are still drinking don’t die like mine because its very painful. A mother is happy when she sees her children prospered but all I have is grief,” she said.

Two of her grandchildren are also struggling with addiction and will be rehabilitated by the deputy president.

“I have been drinking due to stress after watching my uncles die but it has come to a point where I have tried stopping and I can’t. We drink the cheap ones because we don’t have money,” one grandson said, pledging to reform and help his family after rehabilitation.

Both youths have separated with their wives and are casual labourers.

Gachagua said he visited the family after receiving information about Wahu's plight, emphasising that most families have been affected by alcoholism.

“We are here to comfort her. Her words are too weighty, that we do everything possible so others don’t suffer her fate,” Gachagua said.

“Their father was wealthy and gave them their inheritance which they sold and used the money to buy alcohol. Now they buried in their mother’s land,” he added.

The DP said such incidences are reported in many parts of Central region and assured Kenyans that he will see the fight against brews through.

“We are establishing laws that will make it difficult for bar owners to intimidate governors and shift the role of licensing bars to NACADA,” he said.

The DP added that two of the family members will be employed by the county and state to support the family.