Alcohol threatens Africa’s growth

For example, the European Union enforces 50mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood for drivers.

Many African countries will be hard-pressed to state the amount of alcohol say in chang’aa and busaa.

We still operate in generalities, such as: “It’s a strong beer,” “he/she is drunk” and “he/she took something.”

Similar generalities are used to describe causes of accidents in Africa.

Toyota may never have discovered it had an acceleration problem had the Lexus hitch début on the continent.

The momentum set by Kenya’s new constitutional dispensation that puts people at the centre of focus calls for clear policy to protect the same.

Imagine pledging allegiance to people bogged down by harmful effects of alcohol.

Worse still, committing to people who are Kenyan in body but not mind; the quest for a new constitutional order will have failed to deliver on its key purpose.

Africa’s youth is under threat unless a clear framework is developed to govern consumption of both commercial and non commercial alcohol.

Kenya must take the lead in driving a measurement culture to safeguard her people.

Shikwati is the director, Inter Region Economic Network. james@irenkenya.org.