Omwa Ombara
17 April 2008
opinion
Nairobi — They literally live like fish. But whereas water is the natural abode for fish, theirs is dangerous indulgence in alcohol.
Many Kenyans will recall their first alcoholic drink with nostalgia or pain. A rehabilitated alcoholic and author, Mr David Ogot 's first tot made his life a nightmare.
At a recent midnight strip show at Nairobi's Florida Club on Koinange Street, I watched a group of university students initiate a female colleague into drinking.
She cried, wretched and emptied the contents from her stomach as drunken colleagues forced more alcohol down her throat. They laughed hysterically, impressed by their success in initiating one of them into the club. They did not seem to care about the implications.
Medical reports at Kenyatta National Hospital indicate that cases related to alcohol are many.
Blaming parents
While many young people cite joblessness and 'stress' as reasons for alcohol abuse, investigation show that peer pressure and indiscipline count a lot.
Young men at a drinking joint in a Nairobi slum. Little is being done to stop overindulgence among the youth.
Entertainment spots often teem with underage and young revellers, some wetting themselves, shouting obscenities or even making love in public.
Most parents treat their children with kid gloves. They cannot put a leash on them or give guidance, especially when the children are successful in school and college or financially independent.
Cases of drunken youth arriving home in the dead of the night to demand food or beat parents are rampant. But many parents say they keep the matter to themselves to maintain "family honour".
Oddly, some parents accept drunkenness as a show of maturity.
Some of the young people interviewed could not remember the last night when they were sober. Some blamed their parents for introducing them to alcohol at a tender age, while others pointed an accusing finger at advertising and celebrity events, where free or cheap alcohol is offered.
Disgusting
Ironically, young couples blamed their partners. Young men said they drank themselves silly as rebellion against their nagging wives, while young women said they were out for companionship since their husbands were always away from home.
Some men, we were told, are disgusting once they drink and that their wives put up with them for the sake of children.
"He wets himself, and can't even remove his clothes. He goes to bed that way unless I undress him," said a wife married to a 29-year-old man.
A story is told of a youth in Umoja who, after having one too many, mistook his colleague's mouth for a toilet.
Killing potential
The tales are as many as they are incredible. But the question is: Why have we allowed the youth to become reckless drunkards? As they continue drowning in a sea of alcohol, what are we doing about it?
Where are the parents, neighbours, Government, political and religious leaders? Aren't there any people to bring them back on track?
Even as most of us watch indifferently as the youth slowly kill their potential with alcohol, let us be wary that they might one day turn against us.
Our silence is ruining their education. At school events, for example, alcohol seems to have been accepted as normal.
A country that fails to invest in its youth is a country without a future. It is time the country sobered up, woke up to the challenge and taken action.
It is time to stand up and save the youth and our country from self-destruction.
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