Mkurugenzi Mtendaji wa TAMWA, Ananilea Nkya
Na Mwandishi Wetu, Arusha
NCHI za Afrika Mashariki Tanzania zimehimizwa kuiga mfano wa Kenya katika kuweka Sera na Sheria kali ya kudhibiti unywaji mbaya wa pombe wenye madhara makubwa kwa familia na taifa.
Ushauri huo umetolewa na Wajumbe Washiriki wa Mkutano wa Tatu wa Kimataifa kuhusu pombe katika Kanda ya Afrika Mashariki wenye mada kuu ‘pombe ni tatizo chukua hatua sasa’ wametoa ushauri huo mjini Arusha baada ya kuelezwa mafanikio ambayo Kenya imepata kutokana na sheria ya kudhibiti unywaji pombe iliyopitishwa na Bunge la nchi hiyo mwaka 2010.
Mambo yaliyozingatiwa katika sheria hiyo ya Kenya ni pamoja na kudhibiti usalama na ubora wa viwango vya kilevi kwenye pombe na unywaji holela. Sheria hiyo inapiga marufuku utengenezaji wa pombe kwa kutumia vitu haramu kama vile kemikali ya methanol, mitishamba na kinyesi cha wanyama.
Kwa mujibu wa sheria hiyo mtu akipatikana na hatia ya kutengeneza pombe kwa kutumia vitu hivyo hatari vya kuongeza kiwango cha ulevi adhabu yake ni kifungo jela miaka mitano na faini ya shilingi milioni 10 za Kenya ambazo ni sawa na shilingi milioni 170 za Tanzania au adhabu zote mbili.
Kuhusu kudhibiti unywaji pombe holela, sheria hiyo ya Kenya, tofauti na hapo awali, maalum hivi sasa ni kuanzia saa 11 jioni hadi saa tano usiku. Kadhalika inapiga marufuku watoto kwenda baa au kunywa pombe.
Mtu akipatikana na hatia ya kukiuka taratibu za unywaji adhabu yake ni kifungo cha miaka miwili hadi mitano jela au faini ya shilingi 100,000 za Kenya ambazo ni sawa na shilingi milioni moja na laki saba za Tanzania au vyote viwili.
Mwandishi wa TAMWA anayehudhuria mkutano huo amemnukuu Afisa Mtendaji Mkuu wa taasisi ya Serikali iliyopewa mamlaka ya kuratibu utekelezaji wa vifungu vya sheria hiyo (NACADA), Dakta William Okedi akisema utekelezaji wa sheria hiyo umekuwa na mafanikio makubwa.
Dakta Okedi amesema sheria hiyo ya kudhibiti ulevi nchini Kenya imekuwa na mafanikio kwa sababu kabla ya kutungwa kulifanyika utafiti ambao ulibaini kuwa pombe nyingi za kienyeji zinatengenezwa kwa kutumia vitu ambavyo ni hatari kwa maisha ya binadamu.
Mafanikio hayo ni kufungwa kwa karibu nusu ya vilabu vya pombe, kupungua kwa idadi ya vijana wenye umri mdogo wanaokunywa pombe na kuongezeka kwa uzalishaji kutokana na watu kutumia muda mwingi kufanya kazi badala ya kulewa pombe.
Akitoa ushuhuda kuhusu mafanikio ya sheria hiyo, Mbunge John Mututho alisema eneo la Kahuno Murang’a Central Kenya wakulima wa kahawa kwa muda wa miaka kumi mfululizo walikuwa wanapata tani za Kimarekani 57 kwa mwaka lakini katika kipindi cha mwaka 2011/2012 wamepata tani 178 katika ukubwa wa ardhi ile ile ambayo wanalima.
Mbunge huyo ambaye ndiye aliyepeleka Muswada binafsi bungeni ambao uliwezesha kutungwa kwa sheria hiyo amesema utafiti umeonyesha pia kwamba viwanda vya pombe Kenya vimeongeza faida kwa wastani wa asilimia 24 kwa sababu watu wengi wameacha kunywa pombe haramu badala yake wanakunywa bia.
Kadhalika amesema familia zimepata amani na maendeleo kwa sababu wanaume wengi tofauti na zamani ambapo walikuwa wanakesha vilabuni, sasa wanarejea nyumbani mapema .Vile vile makosa ya jinai kama vile ubakaji na mauaji yamepungua kwa zaidi ya asilimia 50.
Mututho ambaye ni mbunge wa jimbo la Naivasha nchini Kenya amesema sheria hiyo inakusudiwa kurejeshwa tena bungeni Septemba 26, 2012 ili kuongezewa makali kupiga marufuku unywaji pombe siku mbili kabla ya siku ya uchaguzi na siku moja baada ya uchaguzi kuzuia ulevi wa pombe kuharibu uchaguzi. Nchi za Afrika Mashariki zinajumuisha Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya na Tanzania.
*Habari hii ni Kwa Hisani ya TAMWA
Curbing Alcoholism in East Afrika: Kenya shows the way
THE East African countries have been urged to emulate Kenya in the formulation of policy and regulation to control alcohol abuse which impact negatively on the families and the nation at large. Participants of the 3rd International Conference on Alcohol in the East Africa region with a theme “Alcohol is a problem act now” made the recommendation in Arusha after sharing the Kenyan experiences on the impact of the Alcohol Drinks Control Act 2010.
Among other things the Act streamlines and strengthens the regulation and control of alcoholic drinks in the areas such as product safety and standards and licensing for the purpose of prevention of production of toxic alcohol and irresponsible drinking.
The Act outlaws the usage of illegal products such as methanol, metals, animals, crops and charms. Anyone found guilty of using banned products in brewing alcohol is liable of five years imprisonment and a fine of Kshs10 million which is equivalent to Tshs170 million or both.
Likewise the Act restricts on the sales and access of alcohol drinks by minors. According to the Act drinking alcohol is allowed only from 5pm to 11pm and minors are strictly not allowed to access alcohol product or alcohol drinking places. Violation of the Act on these aspects amount to 3-5 years jail sentence plus a fine of Kshs 100,000/ which is equivalent to Tshs 1.7 million of both.
TAMWA reporter attending the conference quoted NACADA, the Government Agency mandated to coordinate implementation of the Acts provisions Dr William Okedi as saying the Act has impacted on Kenyan society in different ways. Dr. Okedi however said before the law was enacted a research was conducted which revealed among other things proliferation of sub-standard alcohol beverages that major threat to the health of human beings. He mentioned the positive effects of the Act to include structured licensing regime that has seen the reduction of alcohol drinks outlets by almost half across the country.
Giving testimony on the impact of the Act on the community, Hon. John Mututho, MP for Naivasha Constituency who is also the Chairman of Agriculture, Livestock and Cooperative Committee of Kenyan parliament said coffee famers at Kahuno Murang’a Central Kenya for ten years consecutively were harvesting an average of 57 American tones of coffee but after the introduction of the Act productivity of the crop increased to 178 tones from the same size of land.
Mututho who pioneered a private motion that brought about the bill for the Alcohol Act said survey shows after the enactment of the law the breweries in Kenya have increased profit by 24 percent as more people are now drinking beer produced rather than locally made harmful alcohol. The PM further said that in his constituencies and many other places in Kenya violence in the families as well as crimes such as rape and murder have been reduced by almost a half in the period of less than two years.
However, Mututho says a bill to amend the law to include among other things an article to restrict drinking two days before election and a day after election is scheduled to be tabled in the Kenyan Parliament on Wednesday 26th September 2012. He says the purpose is to ensure that every eligible vote cast their votes soberly to avoid electoral violence associated with irresponsible drinking during elections.