Local brew best known as ‘busaa’ is one of the traditional fermented alcoholic drinks that is common during social occasions in Western Kenya particularly in Bukusu and Tachoni tribes.
Busaa is a fermented opaque cereal beer fermented using a mixture of cooked maize sour dough, water, and finger millet malt (limela) for 2 – 4 days.
The way busaa is being castigated by the national government makes one wonder where the problem lies. Attend any function and you will hear County commissioners, their deputies, chiefs, their assistants and village elders issue stern warnings to those who brew and drink busaa. The recent case was when Bungoma County Commissioner stated during the Jamhuri Day celebrations that whoever will be caught indulging in busaa drinking or brewing will face the law, something that Bungoma Governor Wycliffe Wangamati brushed off, and urged the Commissioner to let the people drink busaa, given that if it means starting arrests, then almost everybody will be arrested including the Governor himself.
Busaa was used in different occasions in the above named tribes during initiation ceremonies i.e dowry payment, naming of a child, marriage, circumcision, any family gathering, during national holidays, Christmas day and ushering in of a New Year and in any other traditional event.
Busaa was taken by elder people, both men and women, who maintained order and had ethics or the ‘manners of drinking’. It was taken decently. In fact no one could tell if the person has taken busaa unless you found him or her in the busaa den. What was only heard was loud and smooth Luhya music, the songs of Wasike wa Musungu and other loved songs by wazees. They could stand, dance to the tune as they exchanged the pulp (lusekhe) and talk about what happens in the society among other stories. Basically, it was termed as porridge for the elderly.
Busaa taken in family gatherings was meant to appease the ancestors and ‘bring them closer to the living.’
The reason why busaa is being criticized by the national government in my opinion, people who take busaa may be involved in crime and the busaa dens are used to hide criminals.
The national government has a right and duty to ensure that its people live peacefully and may have thought that by banning busaa, they’ll curb insecurity problems.
The mechanisms being used have not been received well by affected people therefore should the government change the tactics and it will achieve its agenda.
Now that some tribes use busaa in their various functions just for fun and in their traditional events it will be difficult to do away with it instead use barazas and any other meetings to educate people on the effects of taking busaa. This will help sensitize the community since as you look at how busaa is prepared and how it is handled especially during sieving process it is unhygienic therefore this method will help a lot in the banning process. Otherwise the use of force and arrest will worsen the whole situation because this is a traditional brew that people found being taken by their ancestors in the past generation hence doing away with it abruptly will be a challenge.
The major challenge is where you find chiefs, their assistants and village elders are the culprits of busaa taking or their homes are busaa dens so one may ask how they will help make the ban process a success.
We have people who brew busaa as the only source of the family’s income; money got after selling busaa is used to pay school fees for their children and fend for the family. We have had people who are in big positions in the country who testify how their parents could brew and sell busaa to enable them learn. Therefore, the people who take busaa have themselves deviated from the norms something that has compelled the national government to announce the ban.
As people take busaa should know its effects on a human body and this should only be arrived at when the national government applies proper measures.
The government should empower its people in various ways of making money and teach them on the repercussions of making busaa from the initial stage to the final one and its effects on human health.