Ku wa Gatatu tariki ya 30 Nyakanga 2025, Leta ya Kenya yatangaje politiki nshya igamije gukumira ikoreshwa ry’inzoga n’ibiyobyabwenge mu buryo budakurikije amategeko. Iyi politiki nshya yemejwe binyuze muri Minisiteri y’Ubutegetsi bw’Igihugu iyobowe na Minisitiri Kipchumba Murkomen. Ingingo nyamukuru y’iyi politiki ni uko imyaka yemewe yo kunywa inzoga yazamuwe iva ku myaka 18 igera kuri 21. Uretse ibyo, hanashyizweho amabwiriza akomeye ajyanye n’ahanywerwa n’ahacururizwa inzoga, n’abantu bemerewe kwinjira ahazicururizwa.

Politiki nshya izwi ku izina rya National Policy on the Prevention, Management, and Control of Alcohol, Drugs, and Substance Abuse niyo ya mbere igihugu cya Kenya kibonye ifite gahunda ihamye yo kurwanya ikoreshwa ry’inzoga n’ibiyobyabwenge mu buryo budakurikije amategeko. Leta ya Kenya ivuga ko iki cyemezo kigamije kurengera ubuzima rusange bw’abaturage, by’umwihariko urubyiruko, kuko ari rwo rugira ibyago byinshi byo kwishora mu biyobyabwenge.

Iyi politiki nshya ishyira imipaka ku bantu bari munsi y’imyaka 21, kuko batemerewe kwinjira mu nzu zicuruza inzoga cyangwa kuzinywa, kabone n’ubwo baba bari kumwe n’abantu bakuru. Hanatangajwe ko ahantu henshi hashobora kuzamo inzoga harimo resitora, supamaketi, ahantu hatuwemo, amashuri, ibibuga by’imikino, ibiraro bya gari ya moshi n’amagaraji byabujijwe gucururizwamo inzoga. Na serivisi yo kugeza inzoga mu ngo z’abantu izwi nka “alcohol delivery” nayo yahagaritswe. Iyi serivisi yari isanzwe ikunzwe cyane mu mijyi, cyane cyane mu bakiri bato, ariko ubu na yo ntiyemewe.

Minisitiri Murkomen yavuze ko iyi politiki izaha ubushobozi inzego z’umutekano gukaza umurego mu rugamba rwo guhashya ibiyobyabwenge, gusesengura amatsinda y’abahezanguni acuruza ibiyobyabwenge, no guhagarika ababyungukiraho. Avuga ko ikoreshwa ry’inzoga ridasobanutse riri kubangamira ubuzima rusange, rikangiza urubyiruko, rikatanya ingo ndetse rikitwaza iterabwoba. Yasobanuye ko Polisi ya Kenya izakorana n’izindi nzego z’ubutasi kugira ngo barebe uko basenya imiyoboro ituma ibiyobyabwenge bigera ku baturage.

Hari Abanyakenya benshi batandukanye bagaragaje ko iyi politiki izabangamira uburenganzira bw’abantu bakuze ndetse ikazamura ingaruka z’inzoga zitemewe ziba zigurishwa rwihishwa. Abandi ariko bashyigikiye ko iyi politiki ari ingenzi mu kurinda urubyiruko rusigaye rushorwa mu biyobyabwenge n’abacuruzi batagira imbabazi.

Ihuriro ry’abakora inzoga muri Kenya rizwi nka Alcoholic Beverages Association of Kenya (ABAK), ryavuze ko igihugu cyari gisanganywe amategeko ahagije agenga icuruzwa n’ikoreshwa ry’inzoga, ariko ikibazo nyamukuru ari uko ayo mategeko atubahirizwa. Mu itangazo ryasohowe n’iri huriro ku munsi umwe iyi politiki itangajwe, bavuze ko 60% by’inzoga zinyobwa muri Kenya ari izitemewe, zikorwa mu buryo bwa magendu, ntizigenzurwe kandi nta buziranenge ziba zifite. Ibi babishingiye ku bushakashatsi bwakozwe na sosiyete mpuzamahanga ya Euromonitor International ku busabe bwa ABAK.

Iri huriro ry’abakora inzoga ryavuze ko, nubwo bashyigikiye ikoreshwa rinyuze mu mucyo ry’inzoga, kurwanya inzoga zitemewe no kubuza abana kuzinywa, batigeze bagirwa inama cyangwa ngo bagire uruhare mu itegurwa ry’iyi politiki nshya. Ngo ibyo byababaje cyane kuko bari bafite ubunararibonye bwari gufasha Leta mu gushaka igisubizo gihamye, kirambye kandi kiboneye.

Abaturage bamwe na bamwe bibajije niba gufunga aho inzoga zicururizwa bizaba ari igisubizo cy’ukuri, aho bavuga ko bishobora kuzamura umubare w’abanywa inzoga zitemewe cyangwa bagahindukira bagakoresha ibindi biyobyabwenge birimo urumogi n’ibindi bikomeye. Hari n’abibaza niba leta izabasha gushyira mu bikorwa aya mategeko mu buryo bufatika, cyane cyane mu bice by’icyaro n’imijyi minini aho kugenzura buri rugo n’aho inzoga zicururizwa bikigoranye.

Mu magambo ye, Minisitiri Murkomen yavuze ko hari imbaraga nshya zashyizwe muri iyi gahunda, ati: “Iyi politiki izafasha Kenya kurushaho kugira ubuzima buzira umuze, gutuza, no kubungabunga urubyiruko. Tuzakomeza kurwanya abinjiza inzoga mu gihugu mu buryo butemewe, abakora inzoga mu buryo budakurikije amategeko, n’abazikwirakwiza ku rubyiruko rwacu.”

Kenya isanzwe ifite amategeko agenga inzoga, ariko abayobozi bayo bavuga ko hakenewe ishyirwa mu bikorwa ryayo ryimbitse. Iyo politiki nshya ifatwa nk’umusingi mushya w’uburyo bushya bwo gufata ingamba mu rwego rwo kurengera ubuzima bw’abaturage no guhashya umuco mubi w’inzoga. Hari icyizere cy’uko niba izashyirwa mu bikorwa neza, izafasha igihugu kugabanya cyane ibibazo byatewe n’ibiyobyabwenge.

Iyi politiki inagira uruhare mu guhagarika kwamamaza inzoga hifashishijwe abahanzi, abanyamideli n’ibyamamare ku mbuga nkoranyambaga. Ubu nta muntu uzemerewe kwamamaza inzoga ku mugaragaro cyangwa kuyikoresha mu buryo bwo kureshya abantu, cyane cyane urubyiruko. Minisitiri yavuze ko biri mu rwego rwo gukuraho imyumvire yo gufata inzoga nk’icyo kwishimira cyangwa icyerekana intambwe y’iterambere, ahubwo abantu bakwiye kumenya ko inzoga zishobora no kugira ingaruka mbi.

Benshi muri rubanda bavuga ko nubwo hari ibibazo by’uko politiki itagishije inama buri ruhande, intumbero yayo ari nziza. Iyo politiki igaragaza ubushake bwa Leta bwo guhangana n’iki kibazo gikomeje gukomera no kugiraho ingaruka nyinshi, cyane cyane ku rubyiruko.

Ni byinshi bigaragara ko bikenewe, birimo ubugenzuzi bukomeye, ubufatanye n’abaturage, kongera ubukangurambaga no gufata ingamba zirambye zituma amategeko agenga inzoga yubahirizwa, ataba ku mpapuro gusa. Abaturage, abayobozi, ababyeyi, abanyeshuri, ibigo by’amashuri, insengero, ndetse n’abikorera bagomba guhuriza hamwe mu rugamba rwo kurwanya ikoreshwa ry’inzoga zitemewe no kurengera urubyiruko rw’ejo hazaza.