As Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu is unsuccesfuly spending millions in his ongoing anti-brew campaign in the county, a chief in Kisumu has succeeded in the same, with the slightest effort.
Chief Lukio Otieno Ogutu’s Bwanda location in Nyando Constituency, is an alcohol free zone, bragging of no bars, pubs or drinking joints.
But how does he do it? Especially in a rural place where most people are basically jobless and, therefore, have every excuse to spend time together over a bottle or glass of drink?
In an interview with the Standard, Lukio who also doubles up as a preacher says that his recipe is simple; just preaching the gospel and discouraging the alcohol consumers and if need be, give them a few strokes of the cane for better results.
‘’We caned people to correct them, and we did it and it worked,’’ he told the paper at the Lifeline Church in Rabuor.
He has also managed to keep bars at bay and despite earlier resistance, the joints have moved away and for 5 years running, the region has not even a single drinking den.
“We negotiated with bar owners and convinced some of them to relocate to other areas, and I am glad that for five years running, my entire location has no single bar,” added the 57-year-old administrator popularly known as ‘Tiga Ng’ute Bor’’ (the lock necked giraffe).