Kenya’s “Kill me quick”

I was reading the most recent issue of The Economist yesterday and came across an article I had to blog about. The article is called “African Moonshine: Kill me quick” and discusses the state of alcoholism and alcohol consumption in Kenya, but also Africa in general. This is what they said:

“The equivalent of $1 is enough to buy four glasses of illegally brewed chang’aa [which translates to "kill me quick"]–and oblivion…[In] Nairobi, chang’aa is spiked with embalming fluid from mortuaries..even without [up to 30 ml of methanol] the brew is impure. The water is filthy with fecal matter. When police recently made some raids, decomposing rats and women’s underwear were found in servings of chang’aa…”

If that wasn’t horrific enough, listen to this: “But the price and the potency are more tempting than the heavily taxed bottles of beer that are the staple of richer Kenyans.” Wait a second, you mean to tell me that because beer is too expensive, Kenyans drink this poison…as an alternative? Are they out of their minds? I don’t care how much I love/crave a cold brew. Nothing could ever make me substitute a food/drink item with fecal matter and embalming fluid-infused anything.

Article referenced: “African moonshine: Kill me quick.” The Economist. (May 1-7, 2010) p. 50

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