The fight against cheap lethal brews is bearing fruit if the current situation in some places is anything to go by.
There are places where men were known to be permanently inebriated irrespective of what time of the day it was. One such place was the Kinoo Matatu stage in Kiambu County.
Here, most young men who act as conductors at the stage have undergone a remarkable transformation. Some could not remember the last time they were sober and today some don't believe they are working while sober.
This is attributed to the previous availability of cheap liquor. One only needed to buy what they could afford even if it was worth twenty shillings and tuck it into the pocket.
As the day progressed they would sip little by little and by ten in the morning, most of them were already drunk.
Colleagues to some who were addicted blame the availability of the cheap brews that turned their colleagues into walking zombies. Today, it is hard to find anybody drunk during the day as the spirits are no longer easily available.
Maish, as he is commonly known, says he spent all his earnings on spirits and even eating a good meal was a problem. Today he eats well and even looked well-groomed, something that is also evident in his colleagues.
He jokes that it was a "sin" to sleep with money in the same house meaning it had to be spent in alcohol before he slept. Another one who requested not to be named admitted he never bathed.
Regular travellers at the stage accused him of emitting a bad odour but today he can afford to get near them as he is also transformed at least by bathing for a start.
"There was no time to bath as I was always drunk. Sometimes I slept outside after being unable to reach my house. When I woke up, I simply headed to the nearest drinking place and head to the stage. Most of the times in the morning I was given on credit and I could pay before the day was over", he says.
Travellers say they feel safer as they are dealing with sober people unlike before when some of them would misbehave and even abuse them.
Jane Mbithe who boards a matatu to Nairobi daily at the stage says she was surprised that a particular one who was so rude has changed into a soft spoken and kind person.
“We just hope this transformation will be permanent as the fight against the cheap lethal brews continues in Kiambu County and the Country as a whole,” she quips.