Experts: Why Kenya is a
drinking nation
http://www.nation.co.ke/news/Kenya-Drinking-Alcohol-Illicit-Brew-Health/-/1056/2307504/-/ga39ar/-/index.html
On a Wednesday two
weeks ago, an office worker took the afternoon off to attend a friend’s
funeral.
That evening, he and
other friends who had attended the burial met at a bar to “see off” their
departed friend. They drank until the following morning.
Like that office
worker, many Kenyans use every excuse in the book to indulge in alcohol – from
a toast to good fortune, celebrating a wedding or the birth of a child or to
cope with tragic news, such as death and divorce. In short, every occasion
presents an opportunity to reach for the bottle.
Indeed, according to
Nacada, 16.6 per cent of the urban population consumes an alcoholic beverage of
some sort, compared to 11.4 per cent in the rural areas. The report also shows
that Rift Valley leads in the consumption of traditional brews with six per
cent of its population partaking, while western Kenya
and Nairobi top
the charts in the consumption of chang’aa with 7.1 and 7.2 per cent of their
respective populations consuming the spirit.
Nairobi and Central also lead in the consumption
of mainstream brews with 15.7 and 9.2 per cent of their populations making
regular trips to the bar.
“It is true that we
are drinking too much,” Mr Shadrack Kirunga, a counsellor, said in an interview
with the Nation on Wednesday.
He spoke as the death
toll from the lethal brews consumed in six counties rose to 76, with 181 people
still in hospital.
Kenyans’ drink
problem, he said, starts taking root in universities, where it is fuelled by
peer pressure, easy accessibility of alcohol, opportunity and the freedom to do
whatever one wishes with one’s free time.
“Drinking is a big
issue in our universities, which, unfortunately, graduates with many of us to
our places of work, marriages, and other relationships we form.”
SELF-ESTEEM
According to him, Kenya’s drink
problem is largely driven by low self-esteem, especially among men.
“Kenyan men feel that
the women in their lives have become too strong, too independent, too smart and
too educated – this is difficult for some men to handle, and so they end up
feeling inadequate. To deal with this, they turn to alcohol,” he said.
Due to changing
economic roles, men are no longer the sole providers for their families and
their authority is no longer absolute. Interestingly, it is not just the men
who earn less than their spouses who have been left nursing bruised egos; even
the successful men still feel intimidated by strong women surrounding them.
“This problem will
continue unless men re-orient themselves to the new social structure,” Mr
Kirunga said.
Mr Paul Mbatia, a
sociologist, said there would be no harm if Kenyans drunk to relax. However,
the majority do so to escape their problems.
“The poor drink
excessively because they are unemployed, unable to educate their children, and
unable to fulfil other responsibilities that only money can fulfil,” he said.
The rich, on the other hand, “tend to drink more than they should because they
are unhappy, especially if there is no peace at home.”
The second reason he
gave was that most Kenyans have no idea what to do with leisure time.
“There are people who
have not found a better way to spend their time, the bar therefore becomes the
most convenient place to go.”
Women, according to
Mr Mbatia, drink to show that they are liberated. “It is their way of saying,
here we are, we are women, and can do what men can do.”
However, Nacada boss
John Mututho said access to alcohol was the number one reason turning Kenyans
into alcoholics.
“When you get to a
point where 10 shillings can get you alcohol, then you know you are headed for
disaster,” he said.
I choose to celebrate
the good memories
http://www.nation.co.ke/lifestyle/Living/I-choose-to-celebrate-the-good-memories-/-/1218/2306426/-/ddwwuez/-/index.html