In the 1880’s when fights ensued for the control of the source of the river Nile between the French and British, Enguli (crude waragi) production was introduced by the British colonialists. The Nubians who were Muslims and British employees assisted a lot to distribute it further to Sudan. They helped in spreading brewing skills, distillation and production. Crude waragi was sold within the barracks to the north and further south. Enguli became illegal thereafter as Uganda’s Constitution of 1964 and the Enguli ordinance of 1966 prohibited the consumption, exportation, production, sale and possession of apparatus.
Enguli is a gin and it’s among the many popular local types of alcoholic drinks in Uganda. It’s an extract from hydrocarbons used both for economic and human consumption. It belongs to the European gin of alcohol spirits.
Once there existed kaveera alcohol (sachet alcohol) packed in small polythene bags — a favorite most enjoyed by low-income earners because of its affordability. Co-existent with the sachets were numerous types and brands of locally brewed alcohol from various materials. In 2009, the wrath of poorly brewed and unregulated alcohol backed the blindness of some regulars in different regions of Uganda as others acceded to death due to consumption of poisoned methanol. Poverty-stricken individuals and communities supped, consumed and simply brewed away for money.
A ban on the sale and production of sachets kicked off by the Ministry of Health (MOH) in early 2019 to control alcohol consumption. Opposition legislator Honorable Betty Nambooze in Uganda’s parliament re-introduced a motion to restrain, regulate drinking and trading hours especially for bars. According to the Ministry officials, it arose on the inkling that high unemployment was majorly the outcome and was harming youths’ productive lives through intoxication and more so harming public health. Some producers switched to plastic bottles and increase in the quantity. Some consumers quit but this has not stopped demand as consumption rates get higher by day.
Then the deadly COVID-19 or CORONA virus as is popularly known was pronounced in Uganda in March 2020. The pandemic came by surprise as many were caught unaware. It has ruined the world’s economies and almost rendered them frazzled socially, politically, culturally, economically and otherwise. This Chinese laboratory generated microbe is perhaps the deadliest and worst health mayhems the world has seen. COVID-19 virus is non-selective, highly transmissible and counts easy prey to the elderly and those with respiratory challenges like asthma, sinuses, smokers and others alike. For poorer people its magnitude is perhaps tougher than the wealthy as access to medication counts. Signs of this virus come with severe dry cough, sore and itchy throat, chest pain, headache, high body temperature, muscle pains, diarrhea, uncontrolled and continuous sneezing, flu, uneasy breath, general body weakness, so endemic it is. Specialists reveal that it spreads in the air for hours and can be contracted through saliva, shaking hands, hugging, touching any dirtied surfaces like phones, plastics, door locks, computers and so on.
Numbers of the infected and deaths are soaring, whilst the virus fight. Uganda is among the countries on high alert with specific guidelines from the World Health Organization (WHO) and is up with a number of measures to be followed. Touching the eyes, mouth and the nose is discouraged for it’s the easiest and fastest way to contract COVID-19.
Nevertheless, for alcohol regulation in Uganda, introducing and mentioning the use of alcohol in the CORONA virus fight should bring some hope like it is with consumption. Ugandan authorities have resolved to the use of alcohol as part of the protection measures. Its usage and application in this fight could be playing a big role towards the fight for it’s being used as an ingredient for sanitizers, detergents and disinfectants. Emphasis on practicing personal hygiene like washing hands with soap and water regularly (which faded out in first 4 weeks) is another and avoiding crowds is one of them. Donning face masks was once announced as part of the CORONA virus control exercise too. But for rural areas, it’s a song long gone. On visiting major public places like police stations, health centers, banks and others, it’s a prerequisite but has been snubbed by the population as many people move without them.
Quick facts about Alcohol in Uganda
- In the fight against COVID-19 Virus in Uganda, alcohol is being used as an ingredient and part of the protective measures
- The word Alcohol originates from an Arabic word ‘Al-kuhl’ meaning fine powder through sublimation (according the Encyclopedia Americana vol 9 page 173).
- Alcohol was introduced in Uganda by the British Colonialists in the 1880’s
- It is locally extracted from cassava, bananas, millet beer (malwa), sugarcane, sorghum, pineapples, apples and many others
- Uganda holds 2nd position in Africa for Alcohol consumption
- There are 4 sugar producing factories in 1region (Busoga) and more than 5 sugar producing factories in Uganda that make use of sugarcane by products like molasses
- Busoga region has been the biggest producer of sugarcane before the sudden price fall
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