Grim statistics as crackdown on illicit drinks re-launched

More than 50,000 people have died due to alcohol and drugs in the last one decade, the government has said, as administrators launched a crackdown on illicit brews in 25 counties.

Interior Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho said the dead are mostly youth but did not specify which regions have borne the brunt of the deaths.

“We are losing close to 5,000 people a year. But the real cost to families, society and the economy is much worse. We have areas that primary schools do not have a nursery class because young men are not marrying,” said the PS in an interview with the Nation.

Dr Kibicho said the government will launch a crackdown on the sale and manufacture of illicit brews to stop the consumption of the drinks.

FOUR-MONTH CRACKDOWN

The crackdown, that will initially last for four months, will take place in 25 counties in all regions except north eastern.

“The four months will be for rapid results. But we want to make permanent lifestyle changes in the areas affected,” he said.

The crackdown is the second after the 2015 one that dismantled illicit liquor manufacturers.

Dr Kibicho blamed the resurgence of the bars to county governments who have licensed more pubs than necessary in a bid to raise revenue.

He lauded counties like Murang’a that have controlled licensing of bars and other measures to curb the effects.

REHABILITATION

The county has also re-launched a rehabilitation centre for 300 addicts at Kambirwa in Kiharu Constituency.

After the 2015 crackdown, some of the manufacturers regrouped and started making the drinks again. The government also faced court orders stopping the invasion of premises of brewers and distributors.

But Dr Kibicho said that this time, they will use laws on standardisation, tax and public health as basis for conducting raids.

The PS spoke shortly before administrators in Nyeri started cracking down on makers of illicit brew where two people were arrested.

The two, a distributor and bar owner were arrested in King’ong’o and Kiganjo by police backed by KRA, Kebs and Nacada officers. More than 100 cartons of illicit drinks were also impounded.

DISTRIBUTOR ARRESTED

Nyeri Police Commander Jacinta Wesonga said the distributor at King’ong’o was arrested after he was found with expired liquor lacking valid Kebs permits. The second suspect was selling liquor which bore fake KRA codes.

“So far two people have been arrested and will be taken to court as soon as possible. The exercise will continue in the coming weeks and whoever will be found having faulted the law will face similar consequences,” the police boss said.

According to Nacada Central Region director James Macharia, the crackdown is a continuation of the 2015 exercise that was ordered by President Uhuru Kenyatta.

The crackdown will be led by The Interagency Taskforce on Control of Potable Spirit and Combat of Illicit Brews in the ministry of interior. It will target distributors operating without licenses or selling alcohol brands without certification from the government.

Additional reporting by Nicholas Komu