The government has formed a special unit to lead the war on illicit alcohol, drugs and adulterated ethanol.
Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen announced the formation of a national multi-agency team to carry out sting operations across the country during a media briefing ahead of the Jukwaa la Usalama Nyeri chapter.
The CS vowed to ensure continuous crackdowns until the vice is decimated, not only in Central but also in other parts of the country where the establishments are operating with illegal licenses or none.
“We have agreed at the security meeting with the IG and the CEO NACADA that we are going to establish a special multi-agency team that will include KEBS, KRA among other agencies to work together to ensure compliance,” revealed the CS.
He said the Multi-Agency Team will be coordinated from Nairobi, where the regional and county needs support.
“Where we feel the need to reinforce, the national team will be called in to support this issue of alcohol in our country.”
He also announced that the search for suspected business moguls, who have been operating without genuine licenses and dealing in illegal trade, has been intensified in Nyeri County.
He regretted that Nyeri is a transit point for the rogue dealers who take advantage of young people to supply cannabis sativa, adulterated ethanol, and kangara among other substances.
“Cannabis sativa remains a major challenge across the country. Nyeri is a transit route for Ethiopia, Marsabit, Isiolo and Busia. Some of these drugs are left in Nyeri. There are also some that are planted in Mt Kenya and we have agreed to work in a multi-agency approach on how best to deal with the people trading in this business inside the forest,” said Murkomen.
He said the fight against illicit brew, substandard or counterfeit alcohol, drugs and substance abuse will continue until it is decimated.
“Nyeri is county number 41 in terms of proliferation of alcohol and drugs. It is one of the counties in the Central region with the lowest proliferation. Kiambu still leads because of its proximity to Nairobi. Murang’a is also fairly affected because it is part of the Nairobi metro area,” he said.
“If you hear the feedback from the central region, you might think there is a crisis, but the reason it is pronounced here is citizens’ high level of consciousness,” he stated.
“The problem is more prevalent in Western and Nyanza regions, starting with Trans Nzoia, Kakamega and Kisumu counties, and of course Nairobi and its environs.”
The CS promised to share the strategies applied in the Central region during the Jukwaa la Usalama Western and Nyanza regions’ tours .
“There are still challenges with second-generation alcohol and adulterated ethanol. This problem is very specific and it’s perpetrated by about five ‘business’ people who are smugglers of adulterated ethanol. One was arrested last evening through a sting operation by a team from Nairobi in cooperation with the local security team. These particular people, for some reason, find Laikipia county as a safe haven for their operations. We have a plan,” disclosed the CS.
The CS announced that plans are underway to conduct an operation in Laikipia county.
He linked the numerous cases of suicide,mental health, sexual and GBV cases to prolonged use of the drugs.
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