Gatsata, where ‘muriture’ rules

He lies motionless on the grass, loudly snoring. It’s broad day. His sleeping posture stresses the fact that he accidentally ended up on the road side. It’s coming to evening in Gasiata but no one seems bothered about this man. Within a few hours, others somehow join him. Nearby, loud voices come out of an enclosed bar. People are merry making, most of them with shirts off. I somehow feel something is amiss. I am usually in the company of drinkers but not to these heights. Getting closer, I realize that what is in the faint green bottles isn’t actually mutziig. I am told that it’s Muriture: a drink that literary knocks out whoever takes it. ‘Muriture’ a Kinya-rwanda word meaning {wrestle him or fight him} indeed identifies the character of this drink. It’s ridiculous that a bottle costing only Rwf300 can be so potent. I get to know that the many contents used in locally brewing Muriture count for its wrath. On request of anonymity, a local brewer narrates the procedure that ensures Muriture is tough and he says it’s done for different reasons. “At first it used to be only fermented sorghum. When we realized it was not strong enough, we chose to add different ingredients such as marijuana, honey, crude waragi, tea leaves and sugar. Muriture is a combination of all, that’s why it’s tough,” he says. Muriture is given many names referring to how it turns drinkers’ brains upside down. It’s referred to as ye muntu,{meaning that if a person drinks it they will not recognize even people closer to them, they’ll end up identifying them and sometimes even banana plants as ‘you unknown person]. “Muriture has no friend, even people who are very used to other brands get drunk after taking a few sips,” says Elfaz Munyankoni. Taunts of Muriture Though people have taken it as a way of getting high without spending a lot, Muriture has done more harm than good. Gasiata has more than four bars secretly selling it but in the end it’s brought to light because of what it does. Elfaz Munyankoni a former Muriture drinker quit after he had been run over by a car as he was trying to find his way home drunk from it. Muriture has been blamed for hiking the number of criminals in Gasiata for once a drinker gets tipsy, they can do anything without fear or favour be a crime. Residents say that many men are lured into taking this toxic drink by commercial sex workers who get them drunk and rob them of their money. Theoneste Ruzinda fell in this trap; he was brought by a young lady who claimed the drink was cheap and tasty. He woke up the following day not knowing exactly where he was and how he had reached there. All his money was also gone. Nyabugogo is famous for pick pockets. It’s said that most of the criminals are out of the Muriture crowd in Gasiata. “At times it’s risky passing this place at night, especially near that bridge. People are already tipsy and waiting for prey to rob,” says Ruzinda. Local brew is illegal in Rwanda. This puts Muriture in the illegal category as well. Meanwhile many Muriture bars start operating in the morning since many of their customers are just a walk away. According to my observation, this drink mainly attracts mechanics, motorcyclists, shop attendants and errand boys. Not to mention are people who fall prey to the lie that it’s a kind of new wine. “If police does nothing about Muriture, crime will keep hiking in Nyabugogo since the two are highly linked,” pronounces Ruzinda. As I leave, people continue enjoying themselves on the drink while the number of those sleeping on the grass seems to grow. And I don’t expect any queer stares, I did not taste the drink. Ends