Are we coming of age with the first legalized Changaa distillery?

I think nothing illustrates how far we come as nation as the first legal changaa distillery in Nakuru county. And more to be legalised. Legal and changaa, were not words that could be lined up in the same sentence.

The term "changaa" was always followed by illicit brews or what was known locally as pombe haramu. The poor man's crack cocaine.

The moralists must be groveling like mad. What have we come to legalising changaa? These are certainly signs of the end times. I hold an optimistic view.

Changaa has withstood suppression and held steady as the alcoholic beverage of choice for rural and lower class Kenyans despite systemic onslaught.

It is mind blogging to see changaa join the table as a legitimate intoxicant, licensed and approved by the government. This is quite similar to Jamaica's current reluctant match towards legalising marijuana in a bid to boost tourism and export.

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Therefore, changaa holds potential for brand Kenya. The local gin could just earn its stripes as an assured revenue earner and possibly shore up pride in drinking Kenyan brands.

The criminalisation of local brew is one of those colonial hang ups that ought to be shed. Ugandans have Waragi and Tanzanians have Konyagi so Kenya is very Johnny come lately.

Prohibition of local brews only served as cover for the authorities to harass hard working Kenyans, notably women and kill an entrepreneur spirit that this country desperately needs.

The lower classes have always been punished by the system, harshly regulated and denied their right to get high at cost. The demand for affordable liquor created a space for greedy merchants with no scruples in the hot pursuit of quick profit.

The consequences have been disastrous for the consumers. The alcoholic industry needs to cater for all income levels. People deserve the right to a legit drink at a price that their pockets can bear.

As it were, changaa has already moved up from the ranks of cheap liquor. The price of ingredients shot up like everything else in the country, and a good bottle does not come cheap.

Out West in that place called shags, changaa has become a treat that only the village middle class, also known as the pensioners can afford.

Added manufacturing overheads will push the price beyond the reach of the supposed target market. Indeed! Changaa is entering a new phase of appreciation and its future is brimming with possibilities.