Former National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) chairman John Mututho on Wednesday warned Kenyans of fake alcohol being sold in the market.
During an interview with a local media station, Mututho explained how vodka is made, noting that most Kenyan alcohol manufacturers, if not all, have no access to the ingredients used to make this type of liquor.
“There is no vodka in Kenya. Any Kenyan company claiming they make vodka should invite me to verify, without the seeds that are usually imported from outside the country, that is not vodka,” he noted.
Mututho further urged the current stakeholders in the alcohol manufacturing industry to consider warming up to regulations that he had previously proposed to fight alcoholism and the sale of illicit liquor. In his opinion, stricter laws need to be enacted to govern the industry.
“I have done 100 years worth of research, respect me and reinstate the Mututho laws, publish all the four regulations I recommended,” he stated.
While referencing the 113 deaths caused by the ‘kumikumi’ local brew in Mai Mahiu in 2005, Mututho explained the need to vet the current leaders in the alcohol regulation sector, accusing most of them of being complicit.
“When I was the NACADA chair, my bosses would announce deaths through the media and swear to fight consumption of illegal brews, but nothing would be done,” he stated.
He further noted that the Mt Kenya region was consuming poison in the name of alcohol, adding that the original Muratina was safer than the current illicit brews.
“If you consume the right kind of alcohol, and know your limits, you will have your fun, talk your rubbish, and continue with your life,” he added.
This comes a day after 10 people were reported dead in the Kangai area in Kirinyaga county, after consuming expired local brew suspected of being laced with concentrated ethanol.
"This type of chemical can cause liver cirrhosis and other nervous system problems, including that sign where they cannot see well," Kirinyaga Health County Executive Committee Member George Karoki stated while confirming the incident.
Following this development, the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) and the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) on Tuesday, February 6, launched a nationwide crackdown on bars selling expired alcohol.
