The Achwaka Declaration

Residents of Rabuor Village, Alego Usonga constituency,

We are gathered here this morning to make a declaration,

For the past six weeks we have gone through a lot of troubles,

We can choose to let these hard times to sink us,

Or we can choose to use these trials and temptations to make us stronger.

We all know what happened in the homestead of Othieno Ja-Alego,

His youngest wife, Abigael Nyar-Kano, was caught having an illicit sexual relationship with Jaduong’ Oloo’s son Dickson Onyango Obiero,

The council of elders ex-communicated Dickson and senior chief Milton Ojuok Obila took Abigael in his possession,

The youths have since expressed their dissatisfaction in the way the council of elders treated this case,

They have staged demonstrations in all the four markets of this village,

They have demanded that Dickson should be allowed to come back to the village.

My people, we all know that all these could not have happened if there were stricter laws governing the sale of illicit brew, popularly known as Achwaka,

Achwaka has made our men impotent and our youths useless,

Achwaka has made our women husbandless and our sons and daughters fatherless,

Achwaka has rendered many of our once energetic men redundant,

They no longer take care of their families nor work in the farms,

They spend all their time and money in Achwaka dens,

We cannot allow this to continue.

After thorough deliberations and consultations, the council of elders have decided to ban the sale of Achwaka in this village,

We shall call it, “The Achwaka Declaration.”

Those brewing and selling Achwaka are therefore advised to look for alternative businesses to help them support their families,

If they must sell alcohol, we have recommended they sell bottled beer or Busaa,

From today onwards, anyone who will be caught selling Achwaka will be ex-communicated from this village.

On the issue of Abigael, the council of elders have declared that senior chief Milton Ojuok Obilo should, with immediate effect, release Nyar-Kano to go back to her husband,

It was wrong for him to take her as his fifth wife,

As elders of this village, we do not recognize the marital position of “Wife without portfolio” as senior Chief Milton Ojuok Obila puts it,

My people, two wrongs do not make a right.

As for the matter concerning Dickson, we have decided that we shall not reverse the decision we took earlier,

It is in the best interest of this village that he remains ex-communicated,

As wise elders we take matters of extra-marital affairs very seriously,

We do not want a situation where young men are seeing the nakedness of their mother’s age mates,

It is an abomination,

I know this will anger the youths but we shall not compromise on it,

I declare this meeting closed,

You may disperse.

(image credits: TUKO)