Waragi
Encyclopedia
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
for domestic distilled beverage
Distilled beverage
A distilled beverage, liquor, or spirit is an alcoholic beverage containing ethanol that is produced by distilling ethanol produced by means of fermenting grain, fruit, or vegetables...
s. Waragi is also given different names, depending on region of origin, the distillation process, or both. It is commonly called Waragi in the central area of Uganda but in the West it is sometimes called "Kasese". In northern Uganda it is more commonly called "Lira Lira". The manufacturing of Waragi does not vary too much in the different parts of Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
- only the ingredients are slightly different. A commercial brand called Uganda Waragi is produced and marketed by East African Breweries Limited.
Moonshining and consumption of waragi and other alcoholic beverages is widespread in Uganda. In the 2004 WHO
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
Global Status Report on Alcohol, Uganda ranked as the world's leading consumer of alcohol (per capita). Based on results from 2007, Uganda’s overall alcohol consumption was an average of 17.6 liters per capita. This is unusually high compared to surrounding countries.
History
Waragi was created to give the soldiers confidence to go into battle during the war. A common fear of theirs was internal conflicts about fighting in the war. Waragi gave the soldiers what the English now name it, "Dutch Courage." Waragi was first made in 1965, yet prior to that the people of Uganda brewed another kind of liquor called Enguli. This drink brought about the Enguli Act of 1965- Enguli production can only be done with legal licenses. And also those who had the license were required to sell it to the East African Distillers. When Enguli was received from local suppliers, over the years it was distilled to Waragi. It took 30 years of inconsistency of the drink to finally come to an end template of what is the Uganda Waragi today.Waragi derives its name from "war gin", as the British colonial
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
expatriate
Expatriate
An expatriate is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country and culture other than that of the person's upbringing...
s in the 1950s and 1960s referred to the distilled spirit known in Luganda language
Luganda language
Ganda, or Luganda , is the major language of Uganda, spoken by over sixteen million Ganda and other people mainly in Southern Uganda, including the capital Kampala. It belongs to the Bantu branch of the Niger–Congo language family...
as enguli. The pronunciation with the hard [ɡ] sound is more common; those who are aware of the English origins of the word often favor a "j" sound for [ˈwaɾadʒi]. Its appearance first came about when British soldiers were first starting the create inroads into East Africa. They used brigades of Nubian Soldiers to help with the feat, and they concocted the alcohol to help keep up good spirits. It then spread throughout Uganda as a well-known drink. The colonial authorities of Uganda banned the drink and the laws still exist today. Africans at the time would not drink it publicly because drinks that were less harmful to them were also off limits then.
In 1965, "The Enguli Act" decreed that distillation would only be possible under licence, and that distillers should sell their product to the government run Uganda Distilleries Ltd – which produced a branded bottled product, marketed under the name Uganda Waragi (distilled from millet and today wholly produced by East African Breweries Limited). "The Enguli Act" was never successfully enforced, as unlicensed production of waragi persisted.
People in Uganda now drink the harsh gin and authorities overall ignore the law and do not enforce it regularly. It is sold in shops and bars across Uganda and a distilled version in sold overseas. The product that is sold overseas is double and sometimes triple distilled from the alcohol that village distillers make for the factory Uganda. When it is distilled, flavors are added and many impurities and dangerous parts of the alcohol are filtrated out.
Incidents
In April 2010, 80 people died from multiple organ dysfunction syndromeMultiple organ dysfunction syndrome
Multiple organ dysfunction syndrome ', previously known as multiple organ failure or multisystem organ failure , is altered organ function in an acutely ill patient requiring medical intervention to achieve homeostasis...
after drinking waragi adulterated
Adulterant
An adulterant is a chemical substance which should not be contained within other substances for legal or other reasons. Adulterants may be intentionally added to more expensive substances to increase visible quantities and reduce manufacturing costs or for some other deceptive or malicious purpose...
with a high amount of methanol
Methanol
Methanol, also known as methyl alcohol, wood alcohol, wood naphtha or wood spirits, is a chemical with the formula CH3OH . It is the simplest alcohol, and is a light, volatile, colorless, flammable liquid with a distinctive odor very similar to, but slightly sweeter than, ethanol...
over a three-week period in Kabale District
Kabale District
Kabale District is a district in Western Uganda. As with most other Ugandan districts, it is named after its 'chief town', Kabale. It was originally part of the district of Kigezi, before the districts of Rukungiri, Kanungu and Kisoro were peeled off to form separate districts.-Location:Kabale...
. Many of the deaths were blamed on the reluctance of people to openly admit their relatives had been drinking it, allowing the abuse of the substance to continue. When revelations came about houses were searched, with around 120 jerrycan
Jerrycan
A jerrycan is a robust fuel container originally made from pressed steel. It was designed in Germany in the 1930s for military use to hold 20 litres of fuel. The development of the Jerrycan was a huge improvement on earlier designs, which required tools and funnels to use.-Uses:Today similar...
s uncovered.
The death toll of 80 was arrived at after 15 people died in the period between April 23 and the weekend before. Deaths in Kamwenge
Kamwenge
Kamwenge is a town in Western Uganda. It is the 'chief town' of Kamwenge District and the district headquarters are located there. The district is named after the town.-Location:...
went from five to nine after four people died on 21 April. Two people were hospitalised at Kamwenge's Ntara Health Centre IV and five were hospitalised at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital
Mbarara Hospital
Mbarara National Referral Hospital, commonly known as Mbarara Hospital is a hospital in Mbarara, Western Uganda. It is the referral hospital for the entire country and specifically for the districts of Mbarara, Bushenyi, Ntungamo, Kiruhura, Ibanda and Isingiro...
.
BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
correspondent Joshua Mmali described it as "the largest number killed at one time for several years".
Variants
The base of waragi distillate can be made from either cassavaCassava
Cassava , also called yuca or manioc, a woody shrub of the Euphorbiaceae native to South America, is extensively cultivated as an annual crop in tropical and subtropical regions for its edible starchy tuberous root, a major source of carbohydrates...
, banana
Banana
Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
s, millet
Millet
The millets are a group of small-seeded species of cereal crops or grains, widely grown around the world for food and fodder. They do not form a taxonomic group, but rather a functional or agronomic one. Their essential similarities are that they are small-seeded grasses grown in difficult...
or sugar cane, depending on the crops grown in the region. The most popular (besides the branded Uganda Waragi) are Lira Lira and Kasese. Lira Lira is made mainly from cassava
Cassava
Cassava , also called yuca or manioc, a woody shrub of the Euphorbiaceae native to South America, is extensively cultivated as an annual crop in tropical and subtropical regions for its edible starchy tuberous root, a major source of carbohydrates...
flour and cane sugar
Sugarcane
Sugarcane refers to any of six to 37 species of tall perennial grasses of the genus Saccharum . Native to the warm temperate to tropical regions of South Asia, they have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar, and measure two to six metres tall...
, and is named after the town of Lira
Lira, Uganda
Lira is a city in Northern Uganda. It is the main municipal, administrative and commercial centre of Lira District. Lira was the main metropolitan center of the now defunct Lango District ....
. Kasese, named after the town of Kasese
Kasese
Kasese is a town in Western Uganda, lying north of Lake George. It originally grew around the copper mine at Kilembe, while attention later turned to cobalt mining. It is the 'chief town' of Kasese District and the district headquarters are located there...
, is a potent banana
Banana
Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
gin
Gin
Gin is a spirit which derives its predominant flavour from juniper berries . Although several different styles of gin have existed since its origins, it is broadly differentiated into two basic legal categories...
. Waragi may also be known as "regular" or "crude".
Common in Uganda, besides waragi, are home-made beers and other brews such as tonto, mwenge, muramba, ajon (aka marwa), kweete (or kwette) and Musooli.