New lease of life for Kiteki – from illicit alcohol brewer to Mama Chapo

Teso

Saturday September 30, 2023

KNA by Absalom Namwalo

As the fight against illicit brew is intensified across the country, the government has been urged to embrace a multi-sectoral approach bringing various stakeholders on board to address the menace in a holistic manner.

With soaring cases of drug abuse, drug peddling and smuggling being the order of the day for the busy Malaba town, Annah Kiteki a reformed brewer at Amagoro area in Teso North Sub County has a reason to smile after quitting the illegal practice.

After 4 years of brewing chang’aa, Kiteki popularly known as mama Lavi has now acquired a new name (mama Chapo) thanks to Engineer Alfred Oduya who intervened by giving her initial capital to set up her chapati beans joint.

She is grateful to her sponsor for enabling her to take a new leave in life after she was gifted Sh10,000 capital. “Chang’aa business has little profit and it's risky to women as it exposes them to more risks,” said Kiteki.

“You must master all the tricks on how to avert being nabbed by the police or risk wasting your life in jail. I have been arrested five times since I first began the illicit brew business,” she added.

The 36-year-old single mother of 4 narrated how the loss of her husband at a tender age and abject poverty pushed her into creating a famous chang’aa den that had taken hostage many youths in the area.

“Being a mother and father at same time is not easy. You must find a way of making both ends meet with this hard economic time,” she told the press.   

When Eng. Oduya first set his foot at Amagoro after securing a contract to build a home for a client, he quickly noticed a high number of youths who were engaged in drug abuse and gambling who could hardly do anything without being under the influence of drugs.

He engaged them to establish the root cause and that is how she met mama Lavi who was the celeb in the small town.

“When I engaged mama Lavi, she told me she was brewing the illicit brew as she lacked other alternatives to sustain her family and pay rent,” said Eng.Oduya.

Inspired by Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua call to end illicit brews and drug abuse in the country, Eng.Oduya thought of the best approach on how he could control the influence of drug abuse among youths within Malaba municipality.

It was in this line that he thought of empowering youths through training them on construction skills and also giving the reformed brewers capital to set up alternative businesses.

“I was impressed by concerted efforts of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and his spouse Pastor Dorcas Rigathi who have been traversing the country educating country residents on the need to stop engaging in illicit drinks and drugs," he said, noting that the initiative touched him, thus inspiring him to help.

" I am ready to help in collaboration with NACADA, County and National government leaders and other organisations to change the culture of youths engaging in illicit drinks and drugs and have them embrace meaningful duties that could eradicate poverty, “he added.

So far, the engineer has been able to employ 35 former drug addicts who have now reformed and are ready to spread the gospel to other youths still ensnared in the practice.

Area Deputy County Commissioner (DCC)Stephen Wambura applauded Eng. Oduya for the gesture noting that they are making collaborative efforts to eradicate illicit brews and drugs, adding that occasionally they have Rapid Results Initiative (RRI), including making raids, engaging brewers, talking to them at family levels and involving the church.

"Families engaging in these illicit activities realize no development with children not going to school. Malaba is a porous border, which calls for collective efforts among various stakeholders, including churches, leaders, and the media, to sensitize the masses on inherent dangers of engaging in illicit brews and drugs.

"Some brewers use a lot of chemicals to make their brews mature fast. We are developing strategies in collaboration with multi-agencies and leaders to organize public barazas to help restore lives of those who had engaged in illicit brews and drugs.

Annah Kiteki is now a champion in the fight against illicit brew and drug peddling in Teso North in collaboration with the office of DCC even as they urge NACADA to join hands in the fight at the border.

Courtesy; KNA