Boniface Mwangi,fresh from being grounded in France,his family in tow,shocked his way into the headlines yet again this week after writing quite a lengthy Facebook note to Uhuru Kenyatta. Asking him to sober up and face his alcohol demons. Well,quite a post.
President Uhuru Kenyatta’s alleged love for the bottle,by now,is somewhat legendary. There’s been more than enough urban legends of his flirtatious attitude towards his tipple and we’ve seen social media analysts point out how ‘drunk’ or ‘red-eyed’ the President was anytime he gave a televised speech.
In more occasions than can be counted,we’ve seen commentaries on the Internet of occasions we’ve seen Uhuru ‘drunk’ ever since he assumed office. Blogs and urban myths don’t make matters better. By now,it’s public knowledge; President Uhuru loves his kanyawaji…Or so it seems. Or is assumed.
And being the courageous social fighter he is,Boniface found it prudent to call out the President,massage what we’ve all suspected of him,paraded his weaknesses-and a few others of a bunch of politicians-and boldly asked the President to face his demons,and take charge of his runaway alcoholism if he were to be a better governor of a Nation.
Superficially,it sounded like quite the advice. And like the solution we’ve all been looking for,to fix our national ailments. But no,it’s NOT.
Uhuru drinks. So do you. So does the next guy. And your daddy. Your hubby,bro, uncle, boyfriend and probably your priest too. But until we have concluded,with no shred of doubt or contention,that alcohol has hampered the delivery,performance,success and execution of our beloved ones,who drink,then we cannot sincerely sit here and claim that Uhuru’s love for the bottle is the reason this Country is going to the dogs.
I know upright lawyers who smoke and drink and still sit in the Court and dispense their duties with precision,great skill and sobriety.
I have relatives who dearly and unashamedly love their beer,their Tuskers and Guinness and White Caps,but still you will find them in the office early Monday morning,sober and ready to work effectively.
I love my beer myself. And I work in the entertainment industry where 80% percents of my workmates and colleagues and fellow entertainers,those that I know and those that I don’t,love their beer with all their hearts. We drink hard,drink daily and drink passionately. I don’t joke with my drink. But still,my love for Tusker or Bavaria or Smirnoff Vodka or an occasional Jameson never stopped me from writing like I should,doing my art or running my daily hassles as I should. I’ve been exemplary-to my assessment. And I never slacked. Or failed to show up to work.
According to Boniface Mwangi,and he could be right,Uhuru’s alcoholism is hampering his running of this Country. Boniface believes that were Uhuru a sober man,things would be perfect. This nation would run smoothly and we’d never have any crisis..From January to December. Hmmm,Really? Come on now!
We have Presidents who were teetotalers,and some still are,running down their Countries,screwing up the Constitution,invading other nations,starting reckless wars,killing off their opponents and jailing and detaining dissidents in their Countries…All without ever touching a glass of brew.
Before we look at Uhuru and gauge his performance as President on his ‘alcoholism’, we must remember that former U.S President George W. Bush was-and still is- teetotaler. Let’s also remember that veteran African dictator Robert ‘Comrade Bob’ Mugabe is a teetotaler.
Oh,a teetotaler means someone who DOESN’T take alcohol. At all at all at all.
Now,back to George Bush. Look at his tenure as President… Look at how he run down America,stole Florida votes from the mouth of Al Gore,invaded Middle East countries wrecking untold havoc and pillaging a nation,launched the torturous Guantanamo Bay,initiated false propaganda against Middle East rulers just to plunder their countries and steal oil… And more and more and more. I don’t know one American President who was more hated and vilified like the Ultimate Evil,George Bush. And yet,George never touched alcohol throughout his villainous Presidency.
Robert Mugabe… The man who is synonymous with evil. Has killed and maimed and jailed and executed and destroyed every aspect of his countries’ economy. And yet,he doesn’t drink or smoke… Or even keep a girlfriend. But look at his track record,look at the manner in which he expelled foreigners and subdivided land to imbecile blacks. Look at the hunger and joblessness and hopelessness of his people. And his obstinate desire to remain at the helm. Even without ever holding a beer bottle,Mugabe’s whole Presidency has been a train wreck.
I am of the opinion that alcohol should not be dragged into the dirty and impossible politics of the day. Uhuru could love his tipple (Not my words)… But I can’t see how his failure to love it would automatically spell wonders for our economy or country.
I do agree with Boniface on his sincere call that our President should check his love of the bottle,assuming his has any (Well,I don’t know Uhuru Kenyatta as a person) but I feel alcohol has been unfairly blamed for the sorry state of things in the Country.
You could take all the beer you wanted and still run a Country with the effectiveness and efficiency of a Russian tsar.
And still,you could be off beer and all other intoxicants and a still,perform disastrously,run down the economy and plunge your Country into untold crisis.
But it’s true,Alcohol has had disastrous effects on people,especially the addicted and the diehards. But still…
We need true solutions…Practical and pragmatic solutions to the devastation wrecking so many sectors of this Nation.
I don’t know much about Uhuru’s so-called love for the tipple. But I do know that his bottle DOES NOT decide where this country goes. Or whether the Teachers get paid or not.
It’s beyond his bar bills. I feel.
