Khat chewing as a new Ugandan leisure activity

Abstract

A culture of hedonism that attaches a high value to leisure has prevailed in much of Uganda. Having in the past been associated only with Somali and Yemeni migrants, khat consumption has spread among all ethnic groups and to all parts of Uganda. The locus of consumption has moved from the living room to video halls, alleyways and the ghettos of both urban and rural areas. Khat chewing, which takes several hours if the full sequence of effects is to be achieved, is viewed as idling by mainstream society, and as an affront to the core Ugandan values of hard work and education. There are two types of consumer: 1) the traditional users, maqatna, who chew khat accompanied by soft drinks; 2) the mixers who combine khat sessions with alcohol and/or cannabis use. The mixers have abandoned the rules and rituals of consumption that pertain in other khat-using settings. Many Ugandans confuse cannabis and khat, condone alcohol use, and brand khat chewers as, at best, idlers, and at worst...