They say that old habits die hard just as it is equally hard to teach an old dog new tricks.
In July last year, President Uhuru Kenyatta called on a spirited campaign that was meant to finish what he termed as 'businesses of death'.
The campaign was meant to wage a war against illicit brews and second generation liquor that had killed many youths while leaving others in tatters. Indeed the sale and consumption of illicit brews among youths especially those in central counties of Kiambu, Murang'a and Nyeri had reached a destructive level with many turning into useless zombies who thought about nothing else but cheap liquor.
During the campaign and some days after, there was optimism that the war against illicit brews had indeed been won when some youths who had become addicted to the brews started to succumb to withdrawal symptoms due to lack of alcohol.
This prompted many health facilities to set aside special wards to take care of the alcoholics who started to flock in hospitals to seek medical attention for fear of dying out of withdrawal symptoms than they feared of dying of the brews some days earlier.
Who can forget the spirited media campaign? However, all this could be rendered useless in a while if the current look of things is anything to go by.
The illicit brews and second generation liquors have started to crawl back slowly but sure. For instance if you visit many bars in Thika Town and the surrounding estates you will note a peculiar phenomenon. Many brands of the second generation brews that were destroyed are being re-introduced one after another, week after another with no questions being raised.
Revellers and 'fanatics' of the said brews are also receiving the 'good' news with excitement, ululations and a 'cheers' toss.
I am telling you that these brews can never be finished. The government had to call for a crackdown on illicit brews last year to show the public that it was in charge. Now that the story is forgotten, our brews are back and much better,” James Kimani, a reveller in Makongeni said on Wednesday.
A bartender in the neighbouring estate who did not want her name revealed due to the sensitivity of the matter, said that since she started to re-stock the second generation brews her annual sales have doubled.
"Many youths are delighted that the brews are coming back. In this bar, although am selling them at a slightly higher price than elsewhere, they are still buying because they get drunk faster without spending much. Not many of them prefer beer due to its high cost," she said.
So as I started by saying, old habits die hard and teaching an old dog new tricks is no joke. The war against illicit brews is not yet over, 2015 was just the start because the businesses of death are still flourishing.