Residents of Kilifi County have come out to oppose the ongoing crackdown on the palm wine brew popularly referred to as ‘mnazi’ saying that it is genuine wine and not illicit liquor.

The residents claim that the brew is tapped naturally from the coconut tree and has no additives that may make it manufacturable and are asking the government to remove it from the illicit liquor category.

Led by Kilifi County Assembly Speaker Teddy Mwambire, the residents said that the brew has various cultural and social uses among the Mijikenda tribe and terming it as illicit was an insult to the local community.

Mwambire, who was recently awarded as the best County Assembly Speaker in Kenya by E360 Organization, said that he will not sit back and watch mnazi sellers and users being harassed by law enforcement officers.

“We have seen some people getting mad about the consumption of palm wine by our people in Coast region but this is not an illicit brew but a cultural and social wine. I want to caution the national government and in particular Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua to go slow and learn more about mnazi before including it among illicit brews,” he said.

He added that the coconut tree should also be considered as a cash crop and receive government funding saying that Kilifi County had incorporated the tree and all its products, including mnazi as a cash crop.

“I have never seen anyone complain about the negative effects of mnazi but the government is ready to allow the sale of mogoka and miraa that have side effects on users and are outlawing mnazi which is very natural and consumed straight from the coconut tree. We are going to push for legislation that will make the coconut tree a cash crop so that as a region and as a country we can maximize its potential,” he added.

Gachagua’s order on Mnazi

While in Mombasa a fortnight ago, Gachagua ordered the crackdown on illicit brews, mnazi included, a move that has led to harassment of traders and consumers of the palm wine.

A section of palm wine sellers and consumers in Malindi town have decried increased harassment and extortion from law enforcers who demand as high as KSh2,000 from arrested individuals.

“They arrest us and then instead of taking us straight to the police station, they drive us around for hours as they demand bribes so that they can release us. Mnazi is not a drug or illicit brew but it is a wine that has been used since our forefathers’ times. Instead of criminalizing it they should instead help us add value,” said Mrs Kaneno Changawa, a mnazi trader.

She added that she has never witnessed a mnazi user getting negatively affected by drinking the wine unlike other brews such as chang’aa and second generation brews.

Mr James Ngali, a user challenged the national government to incorporate palm wine in law the same way the Kilifi County government has done since many people depend on it to feed, cloth and school their families.