Acting on the orders of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki, on Tuesday, June 13, announced a major milestone in the fight against drugs and alcohol abuse.
In a press statement, the Interior Ministry revealed that a multi-agency team conducting a nationwide crackdown against the menace closed thousands of bars and restaurants operating illegally.
Kindiki further emphasised that the intensified battle against illicit brew aligned with the recognition of the trade as one of the top 5 existential threats to Kenya's future.
"A total of 43,708 outlets have been assessed, with 37,713 already cleared to carry on with operations while 5,995 have been closed down due to serious safety breaches and failure to comply with essential legal requirements.
"Rift Valley has the highest compliance score, with the region posting 23,735 cleared businesses. The Eastern Region and Nairobi have also recorded impressive figures, the former with 5,708 and the latter with 3,315," Kindiki stated.
Central Region recorded 1,827 cleared businesses, Nyanza (1,217), Western (1,153), and Coast (706). The bottom of the list is North Eastern, where 52 premises were declared compliant.
The CS also revealed that he had formed a special sub-unit deployed to inspect liquor businesses, including checking compliance with the legal and regulatory frameworks.
The special unit reported that over 86 per cent of the premises inspected so far had met all the requirements stipulated in the country’s alcohol laws and policies.
"The inspection, whose scope extends to premises’ license statuses, the legal standards of alcoholic beverages stocked, and the labeling of alcohol products, is a prelude to a fresh review of all the licenses for the manufacture, distribution and sale of alcoholic drinks in the country," he stated.
In the crackdown, some investors were found venturing well beyond the business activities specified under their license categories. As such, their businesses were summarily closed down.
"With the understanding that liquor licensing and drug control is among the service functions that were devolved to the counties, it has been established that limited enforcement capacity and loopholes in the counties’ licensing regimes are among the major stumbling blocks in the war against the menace," Kindiki stated.
The Cabinet Secretary explained that the operations will continue until cases of misappropriation of the permits shall be adequately addressed and suspects arraigned in court.
"However, one of the unanimous resolutions endorsed during the three stakeholders’ fora is the progressive harmonisation of responses by the two levels of government, with each committing to step up the level of fulfillment of its obligation as part of the renewed efforts to clamp down on the trade," Kindiki stated.
While attending a multi-agency engagement of the Upper Eastern Region in the fight against illicit brew at Chuka's Kirubia Stadium in Tharaka Nithi County on Monday, June 12, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua ordered Officers Commanding Stations (OCSs) and County Commissioners to end drug and alcohol abuse within their jurisdictions in ten days.
The Deputy President asked the officers to choose whether to serve the people and obey Presidential commands or jeopardise their jobs by taking bribes from alcohol and substance peddlers.
"We will work on a joint strategy together to end illicit brew and substance abuse in Tharaka Nithi, Meru, Marsabit, Embu, and Isiolo Counties. We remain firm in our resolve to make our youth useful in Nation building again," Gachagua stated, threatening to fire any OCS who will be found complicit.
