Bujumbura is under a dry regime. We already knew about the shortage of Brarudi drinks, but the situation has deteriorated profoundly in recent days, to the great despair of drinkers. Stratagems to flush out the slightest drop of beer? In the face of adversity, the imagination of Burundians never runs dry. Using social networks to track down the dive bottle, this is the new tip that is all the rage in Buja-la-belle.
“The loss of a spouse does not go without sighs (…) on the wings of time the pain flies away”, said Jean de la Fontaine. He’s going a little hard, you’re probably thinking. Comparing beer to a deceased husband?! I persist and sign, the distress that drinkers experience is equal to the depth of this quote from Jean de la Fontaine. The bars of Bujumbura are desperately dry. Those who are still lucky serve Bocks or Royales. But it is known that the Burundians are fond of Primus, iki mom, our national beer. Unfortunately, it is difficult to find the famous drink in the bars of Bujumbura or in the interior of the country. Let’s not even talk about Amstel or ”Beshu’« are the tears of the tiger » (panther tears, Editor’s note).
A national drama? We don’t want to add fuel to the fire, but that’s almost it, the Burundian is a big drinker before the eternal. The author of these lines himself does not spit on a ”Beshu’ well typed.
Well, anyway, last week, I was on a mission to Gitega. I’m staying at a hotel after work. Sad news: only Royals. In my drinking life, I have never managed to swallow a whole glass of Royale which I find disgusting (the CEO of Brarudi and fans of this drink will forgive me). I decide to try anyway. I swallow two sips with all the difficulty in the world. A waiter, who was observing me surreptitiously, takes pity on me and comes and whispers in my ear: I know a place in town where there are Amstels, but it’s expensive and you have to pay for a motorbike. The deal was quickly concluded and I paid a total of 20 thousand Fbu to have 3 Amstels! That’s when I realize the situation is serious.
La solution miracle
When I returned to Bujumbura, I realized that the situation was not very good. These thirsty city dwellers spend their time passing on addresses to find Brarudi products. Messages as anxious as each other are circulating in WhatsApp groups. One of them said that Brarudi no longer produces beers because of the lack of malt, one of the ingredients used to make beer. Damn ! We’re going to die, a friend who was also a beer drinker told me.
The next morning, I sleep peacefully. A friend who I asked if she knew where we could find a ”Beshu”, sent me a link to a WhatsApp group, with a laconic message like: Join this group to learn more about alcohol. I burst out laughing! I knew of groups that tracked fuel, but until then I didn’t know of any that tracked beer. The sign of the times! Just the name of the group shows, for me, the distress in relation to this situation: MUTURANGIRE AHARI AKAYOGA. Please also note the use of capital letters. So I join the group. I was amazed when I noticed that the group already had 1,025 people even though it had only been created the day before, that is to say on April 24, 2024. An hour later, I learned that we must create another one because ours is already saturated.
In the meantime, a message falls into the group: in Kinindo near the ”Lumière” campus, there would be ”‘Beshu’. I immediately decide to put down my pen and stop writing this post here to check if the information is accurate. In good Kirundi, we say: “I’m going to get pregnant”. Hold on, you thirsty ones!
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2024-04-26 08:37:17