Government Retreat On Traditional Brews Laudable.

Barely two weeks after the Government lifted a ban on the brewing and consumption of traditional brews, Finance minister Amos Kimunya made a hasty retreat early this week and declared that the ban was still in force. Kimunya, it seems, had not done his homework and his sole intention was to rake in revenue from the brewers in order to sustain the economy which, in actual fact, was a very noble idea. But whoever had initially advised the Government to lift the ban on the brewing and consumption of traditional brews must have been its number one enemy besides having no value for human life and general development. When the former Government under the stewardship of retired President Daniel arap Moi slapped a ban on the traditional brews, it had done a lot of research and found out that the brews were dangerous to human life and enemies of development. The grapevine has it that Mzee Moi imposed the ban owing to the fact that his kinsmen had been enslaved by the daily consumption of the traditional liquor and consequently the entire Rift Valley had its general development stalling resulting in untold poverty and hopelessness. It is in the same vein that he was infuriated by the lifting of the ban by the Mwai Kibaki administration recently, warning that Kenyans might indulge in the consumption of the brews at the expense of development. Moi said traditional brews consumption and development run on two parallel lines since no viable development can be achieved if citizens indulge in the vice, adding that it was unfortunate and ill-advised that the Government lifted the ban. Warning the consumers of the traditional brews to take the same at their own peril, a concerned Moi said by lifting the ban, the Government had actually compromised a lot of things among them development, good health and happy marriages. His worries are factual owing to the fact that consumers of the brews are known to be lazy and individuals who harbor no ambition for a better tomorrow. His sentiments were echoed by Keiyo South MP Nicholas Biwott who termed the move as myopic and outdated. Men are normally turned into zombies by the drinks whose brewers are sometimes known to lace them with methanol and other poisonous substances in order to make them more potent to attract more customers. It is imperative to note that many homes have broken because of uncontrolled consumption of traditional brews due the fact that men hardly fulfils their conjugal duties with wives complaining their spouses are only good at bed-wetting and night-long snoring. Hundreds of Kenyans have over the years died after consuming the traditional brews and it is therefore very sad that the Government can legalize their brewing and consumption. The drinks not only impoverish its consumers but also reduce life expectancy and contribute to the rise in sexually transmitted infections and HIV/Aids owing to the fact that its consumers end up engaging in risky sexual relations. Excessive consumption of alcohol also compromises the quality of education besides encouraging crime especially because some consumers end up becoming muggers in order to sustain their habit after whiling away their time in beer dens. As such, every Kenyan should support the Government’s move of reconsidering its plan to lift the ban and at the same time thank all those who expressed their displeasure over the legalization of the brews, among them the former President. Clement Kamau.

The Genesis of Mungiki Sect.

The outlawed Mungiki sect started in Murang’a District way back in 1999. Matatu touts came up in arms against the proscribed Mungiki sect. They were protesting against a daily ‘protection’ fee Mungiki charges them.

It created confusion among the community as it was thought to be linked to the controversial Tent of the Living God sect, which was led by the late Ngonya wa Gakonya. In 2000, a police officer was killed after he and his colleagues were overpowered while dispersing an illegal gathering at Kanjahi market in Gitugi location. In pursuit of the sect, police raided a home in Iyego location, Kangema division, where they found several people holding a curious “talk”, which they termed a Gikuyu culture.

Among those held included elderly “traditional healers”. They were arraigned before a Murang’a court shortly. They denounced the sect, alleging they belonged to “Mihiriga Kenda”(The nine sub-clans of the Agikuyu). With that incident, the controversy about the real identity of the Mungiki and their intentions began. A security consultant, however, traces the genesis of the sect way back in 1987 in Rift Valley when a group of people began promoting the Agikuyu culture before venturing into politics.

Indeed, former Molo MP, the late Kihika Kimani, paraded several adherents of Mungiki at Nakuru’s Afraha Stadium and introduced them to former President Daniel Moi, saying the youth had vowed to change their ways.

Biggest cause of insecurity.

Adherents of the Mungiki sect during a past rally at the Kamukunji grounds. Nobody took them seriously then and Kenyans thought the move was a political prank. Apparently, the sect did not fizzle out with Kihika’s pronouncement. It grew undetected as an undercurrent and lethal outfit. With time, it graduated into crime, with matatu (public transport) operators hiring its operatives for “security” of termini. Ironically, today, the Mungiki are now the biggest cause of insecurity.

At some point, they broke ranks with the transport operators after demanding more money than the operators were prepared to part with. Owing to the consequent confusion, the Mungiki transformed itself into a vigilante group. It took control of rural villages and claimed to be “guarding” them at night for a fee. Later, they moved back to the lucrative matatu business and forcefully took control of stages in Murang’a District.

The Government cracked the whip on the sect four years ago following street demonstrations by residents. Before long, Mungiki had moved into other towns and started levying illegal charges on vehicles. Soon, it emerged that Mungiki was a ‘national’ outfit with national officials to boot. They come out in the open, held press conferences and radio talk shows, and recruited hundreds of youth. But even then, the true intentions and scope of membership remained shrouded in mystery.

Some of the burnt houses belonging to sect members in Banana. File picture Still, the Government dithered and shuffled in indecision, allowing the movement to fester and grow. Mungiki boasted of national and district officials in major towns. Its members strutted press conferences sniffing tobacco and proudly displaying their unkempt dreadlocks.

Chiefs are fearful of repercussions.

Within the larger Murang’a District, known strong holds of the sect are Gitugi, Muthithi and Ngurwe-ini in Kandara. They made themselves an authority and killed matatu operators who declined to pay ‘protection’ fee. Recently, Murang’a District Commissioner, Mr Kenneth Lusaka, called on chiefs to help the police identify the whereabouts of the sect members.

But the chiefs are apparently fearful of the repercussions. And such fears are not unfounded, given the last week incidents where four people were beheaded. One head was pinned at the gate of an assistant chief, a warning to the Provincial Administration. The incident was probably the worst in recent history and rocked the entire country, given the gory details of the killings.

Munala Wa Munala.

Source: allafrica.com
 

Have A Nice Day!

Quote: Your destiny is not a matter of chance; it’s a matter of your choice. It’s not something you wait for, but rather something you achieve with effort. Things won’t turn up in this world until you turn them up. Antony W.

A Swedish Man Dies In Mombasa Leaving a Kenya Woman Stranded!

A Kenyan woman in Mombasa has lost her Swedish boyfriend and she is kindly asking Kenyans in Sweden to help in anyway possible for her to travel to Sweden to attend the burial ceremony of her late boyfriend. According to the source, the Swedish man was traveling to Kenya to marry the Kenyan woman but unfortunately ,he collapsed at the airport and passed away. The body of the man is still in Mombasa for postmortem which will be followed by cremation before the body can be transported to Sweden for burial. The postmortem will be contacted today afternoon followed by cremation and later the ashes will be send back to Sweden thereafter to a funeral company. The Kenyan woman needs urgent help to travel to Sweden for burial since the Swedish Embassy in Kenya has declined to give her the visa to travel for burial claiming that she needed an invitation letter from Sweden. The immediate family of the Swedish man has ignored her and she needs Wakenya in Sweden to help her to travel to Sweden as soon as possible. “I need to come to Sweden to attend my lover’s funeral, time is running out and I need to get a visa before they take the ashes away”, said the woman. According to an e-mail that Jamii crew received, the Kenyan woman has been a frequent visitor to Sweden and the last time she was in Sweden was in March 2006. “I have pictures and all documents to prove my case but the embassy has refused to grant me a visa”, said the woman. The Swedish man took a flight to Mombasa and on arrival at the Mombasa airport, he passed away while filling the visa card. It was the flight attendants who found him dead. The Kenya woman got the sad information through the Swedish man’s son who e-mailed her on the 17th may telling her that his dad was dead. “I was to meet him at the Hotel on the 16th but when I got there, the receptionist told me that he had not checked in. On the 17th I ranged him on his mobile and his home number but there was no answer”, said the Kenyan woman. “Iam totally confused and to be honest, I don’t know what to do. Please help me in anyway you can and I will be grateful for your kindness”, she said. Plans are underway to see how the woman can be helped. Jamii will post more details on how you can help the woman. Munala Wa Munala.

UMUHIMU WA MAJI .

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Akaniuliza “Mbogo, kwanini ng’ombe sinaania hivyo? Nikamwira ni gatangi kamegaragara. Alinichapa sana na ndio nikajua umuhimu wa maji. Mwalimu ni akenirio ni insha iyo na akihe Mbogo marks 16/40. Wewe unaweza shida Mbogo kuadika insha ? Basi washa kusheka waana!

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