Illicit brews have existed in Kenya for more than a century. Several laws and regulatory frameworks have been put in place to try and curb the production, consumption and sale of the brews dating back to pre-Independence.
It appears that alcohol is still brewing problems for most societies in Kenya so much so that this has caught the attention of the most powerful office in the country; the presidency.
Media reports point to trillions of litres of illicit brews either confiscated or destroyed in the past few years. But the main puzzle is how such huge volumes of liquor have either been brewed or smuggled in and openly sold in recent years despite the passing of the heavily punitive Alcoholic Drinks Control Act, commonly known as the Mututho laws, in 2010.
Every other time when national crackdowns are launched to address the menace, everyone accepts the effects of illicit brews to both the consumers and society. Under Section 38 of the law, brewing and sale of illicit liquor amounts to an offence and those found guilty are liable to a jail term of up to 10 years, or a fine of up to Sh10 million or both.
For licensed dealers, the law provides that licences be forfeited, and that no new licences shall be granted or transferred to them thereafter, if an alcoholic drink is adulterated by a substance that renders it unfit for human consumption.
Unscrupulous traders have for years on end continued to risk the lives of Kenyans as they brew killer drinks with total disregard for the law. This has further been compounded by the fact that they are able to access ethanol, and in some nondescript locations, manufacture lethal concoctions whose contents are never subjected to the recommended safety standards to ascertain their quality.
According to the World Health Organization, wine, beer, cedar, mead and other fermented beverages have been present in nearly all human societies for thousands of years, basically consumed soon after brewing locally, and were rarely traded.
There has been determination to curb the problem of alcohol through standardisation, licensing and control of consumption. This led to formalisation of some alcohol and illegalisation of others based on the conditions of its manufacture, alcohol content, packaging, and licensing requirements.
According to WHO, the prohibition of illicit brews dates back to the years between 1919 and 1933 due to the negative implications that accompanied their consumption.
In Kenya, every society has its own traditional beverages. These are the distilled spirits (chang'aa), busaa, muratina, mnazi and miti ni dawa, among others. Alcohol abuse was first documented in 1902, when data shows that alcoholism was experienced in the former Fort Hall District, current day Murang’a county, in Central Kenya.
It is clear that the alcohol market is in need of strict control, but there’s a very thin line between criminalisation of drinking of alcohol, and stopping crooked brewers who produce alcohol that does not meet the required standards for human consumption.
There’s urgent need for concerted efforts on the political, religious and civil society fronts to mount sustained awareness campaigns on the dangers of consumption of illicit brews.
The media also has a strategic role to play in countering the illicit brew market by highlighting conspicuously the dangers associated with the consumption of such alcohol.
Additionally, the media has the power to expose such brewers through the production and dissemination of features, documentaries and investigative pieces that reveal the tactics that they are employing to avoid complying with the law.
The war against illicit brew production, distribution and consumption will also bear fruit when all stakeholders pool together to handle the different facets of the challenge. For instance, there are cases of some brewers wishing to engage in alternative livelihood activities, which would effectively ensure they ditch the harmful practice.
While this is not a one-time exercise that would yield immediate results, the country has a golden opportunity to deal with the menace especially now that the President and Deputy President have publicly committed themselves to effectively dealing with the challenge. What now remains is for all other actors to follow suit and collaborate in supporting the government's effort.
Manager Corporate Communications, National Authority for the Campaign against Alcohol and Drug Abuse
