One of the easiest things in the world is to mistake an outcome for a story. A beautiful home. A thriving business. A failed marriage. A child in an expensive school. A forty-year-old with no savings. Someone who seems to have it all. Someone who appears to have fallen behind. We see the destination and instinctively begin filling in the journey. Hardworking. Lazy. Disciplined. Irresponsible. Lucky. Entitled. Deserving. Wasteful. Perhaps the most dangerous thing about human beings is not that we judge one another. It is how quickly we become certain that our judgment is correct. Because every life has invisible expenses. Not just financial ones. The kind that never appear on a bank statement or a résumé. Some are chosen. Some are imposed. Some are wise. Some are costly mistakes. Most are a complicated mixture of both. One person reaches middle age with very little savings because they spent years paying school fees for younger siblings. Another because they repeatedly made poor financi...
Alcohol has long been part of Kenyan life. But how it is made, consumed, and understood has shifted dramatically across time. From its ritualistic, sacred roots in indigenous communities to its transformation into a widespread social escape and public health crisis, Kenya's relationship with alcohol is deeply tied to its history, politics, economy, and cultural evolution. This piece traces how we got here — not in metaphor, but in fact. 1. Pre-Colonial Period: Brewing and Ritual Long before colonization, communities across Kenya practiced traditional brewing. Alcohol was not only accepted but woven into social and spiritual life. Different ethnic groups brewed various fermented drinks: Muratina among the Kikuyu, made from wild fruits and honey. Busaa , common among the Luhya and Kalenjin, made from fermented maize and millet. Mnazi (palm wine), tapped by Mijikenda and coastal communities. Uji ya Kigage , a mildly alcoholic porridge used in both everyday and ceremonial contexts. T...