What is Jaba? The drug that Bien is quiting

31 January 2022

As you read this, Sauti sol frontman, Bien Aime Baraza, is jaba free.

He announced that starting January 26, 2022, he will quit a lot of things, among them jaba.

Bien wrote on his socials, "So after a long hard look in the mirror, I have decided to change my ways. The internet is a very toxic place and I just want to take a step back.

There are a lot of habits that I picked up along the way that I am leaving behind this year. I just wanna reset and rewind. Thank you."

The Thick Thigh hitmaker added, "Time to reset and rewind. From this day onwards, I am a changed man. I am even considering quitting jaba It won't be easy but the Lord is with me."

Most of his fans are yet to believe this. They are not the only ones.

Speaking during the Morning Conversation on Classic 105, Mwalimu Kingangi advised, '"Naskia Bien anaacha jaba? That is hard to leave unless he says he will reduce the amount he takes.

Adding, "Some things such as smoking are very hard to ditch, you cannot just wake up and say umewacha.

Some of these things you just pray to God and ask him to help you drop such habits."

Then according to Obinna, jaba is what inspires Bien to be the man he is. Speaking during the Morning Kiss, Obinna said;

"How do you expect Bien to sing Mbwe Mbwe when he is level-headed? He needs Inspiration like Ben Soul. He is always eating or smoking something. Ben Soul wouldn't function at a place with no food."

Obinna added;

"He will write music but it won't be the same. Jaba is what inspires him. It makes him think out of the box. Once he is sober he will just do "normal" songs."

Well, so what is Jaba?

According to the sheng dictionary, Jaba is also known as gwaks, ketepa or mogoka.

Khat is a plant whose leaves and stem are used as a recreational drug and as medicine.

As a medicine, khat leaf is used for depression, fatigue, obesity, stomach ulcers, and male infertility. It is also used to lower the need for food and sleep, decrease sexual desires, and increase aggression.

The World Health Organization (WHO) lists khat as a drug that creates “dependence” in people, meaning it produces a continuing desire to keep using it.

What are the side effects of contact Jaba usage?

It can cause many side effects including mood changes, increased alertness, excessive talkativeness, hyperactivity, excitement, aggressiveness, anxiety, elevated blood pressure, manic behaviour, paranoia, and psychoses.

Trouble sleeping (insomnia), loss of energy (malaise), and lack of concentration usually follow.

Other effects include rapid heart rate, heart palpitations, increased blood pressure, faster breathing rates, increased body temperature, sweating, eye changes, mouth ulcers, inflammation of the oesophagus and stomach, gum disease, jaw problems (TMJ), and constipation.