MAIRUNGI TRADE BOOMS IN UGANDA

Kampala

CUNNING, baffling, and powerful, it is probably the only narcotic that has
slipped through the sharp jaws of our legal system. To add insult to
injury, our reckless taxi drivers have taken to habitually chewing mairungi
in combination with other subtle crude, brain wrecking substances, behind
their rusted wheels, much to our detriment and sometimes, demise. Mairungi
is now consumed openly by a substantial percentage of our population.

Most of its consumers, however, assume that it is a harmless, mood altering
substance. They are wrong.

"Mairungi is a narcotic because it has the ingredients of a narcotic drug,"
Michael Were, the director of Anti Narcotics, in the Uganda Police Force says.

Simon Nantamu, a Psychology lecturer at Makerere University, echoes similar
warnings. "There is no doubt that mairungi, like any other narcotic, can
cause mental illness," he says.

In spite of the potential risks this drug poses to the human mind and
brain, it is widely consumed by the local population and without much legal
consequence.

"There is a big problem of mairungi in the country especially among taxi
drivers. The cause may be their hectic routine, because their work is too
stressful. They take mairungi in an attempt to break the monotony of their
work life, and alter their energy levels. That is why there are many
accidents," says Nantamu.

"Another reason they take mairungi is because it is not detectable on
breath in case of an accident. The problem is that it is addictive and
those who take it remain hooked onto the drug long after they quit their
professions," he adds.

"Mairungi is being consumed allover the country in the open," Were reveals
in near desperation. "It is consumed openly in our slums and other urban
areas. It is most common in places like local video clubs where it is even
sold openly."

Other obvious places where this stuff is sold and consumed are the dismal
corners and corridors of Kafumbe Mukasa Road, Arua Park, Kibuli slums and
worse still, such people are not, and cannot be arrested for this substance.

"Mairungi is not illegal in Uganda and that is why these people chew and
trade in it freely.

"Government is coming up with a bill which has already been presented to
Parliament, and deals with narcotics and psychotropic substances. When it
is out, it will pave the way for the arrest of these mairungi consumers,"
says Were.

The temporary glow of hope that had cut across Were's face, suddenly dies
away as soon as it had appeared, when his colleague, Moses Adipa, a
narcotics officer, raises some issues of national importance.

"While it is illegal to consume or trade in mairungi in Zambia and
Tanzania, it is not illegal in neighboring Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia,
among other countries," he asserts.

Were says this is likely to make any drug law enforcement against mairungi
very difficult when we share common borders with countries that do not
consider it illegal.

"In Kenya, people are allowed to trade in and consume mairungi. They are
given licenses to cultivate mairungi and these people ferry marungi on a
daily basis to countries like Yemen and make so much money in the process,"
Were and Adipa reveal.

Ugandans, on the other hand, seem to be making their share of money from
the domestic market, tax free, from this booming trade.

Adipa shows the direct link between mairungi and other harder drugs.

"Mairungi is a stepping stone for harder drugs. When these people reach a
certain point they feel they need something stronger and they take on to
marijuana or heroine."

Were and Adipa say Ugandans are also taking to cultivating their own supply
of mairungi, though their domestic market prefers the mairungi grown in Kenya.

"There are different brands, depending on their countries of origin," they
reveal.

What Ugandans export mainly to Kenya is marijuana grown in Busia, among
other places.

Taxi drivers are at the top of the list of mairungi consumers, followed by
students. Were and Adipa, consider this to be a major cause of road
accidents these days.

"Taxi drivers, like other mairungi consumers, tend to consume it along with
other substances like marijuana, alcohol, or heroine, and other narcotics
because they want to get a stronger effect," says Were.