Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on Saturday, July 8, ordered the arrest of a chief in Nyeri County for drinking at a local pub during the day.
During his speech at a funeral, the DP expressed deep regret over the national government administrator's behavior saying the action directly contradicted the government's sustained efforts to combat the sale of illicit alcohol, particularly in the Mt Kenya region, and address the widespread problem of alcoholism in the area.
Gachagua wondered how the administrator would fulfill his responsibilities while drunk.
However, the Deputy President refrained from disclosing the name and posting of the chief. Nevertheless, the County Commander was furnished with the necessary details to carry out the arrest.
"Right now, there is a chief drinking at the bar right now. I will give you his name so that you can go arrest him. How can he be drinking at 1 pm? If a chief is drunk how will he deal with the alcohol here?
"You will have to find his replacement. There is no drunk chief who will work in this government. They will decide whether they want to drink or work," the DP stated.
During his speech, Gachagua hinted that he got wind of the chief's whereabouts from the locals revealing that some residents in his home turf had his phone number.
The former Mathira lawmaker also cautioned government officials against undermining the government's resolve to tackle alcoholism.
"Chiefs in this area are in trouble. Everybody here has my number and they will always tell me if you (chief) do something wrong," he asserted.
By the time of publishing this piece, it was yet to be established whether the County Commander managed to execute Gachagua's orders.
In a previous event, the DP had explicitly warned national administration officials against undermining the government's war against drugs and alcoholism stressing the government would not hesitate to sack those who strayed against this position.
As of July 8, 2023, the fight against the sale of illicit brew was being waged in all parts of Kenya.
