Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki. PHOTO/@KindikiKithure/X

The government has shut down 18,650 liquor stores operating illegally, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki has revealed.

Also shut down are 14 distilleries operating illegally, with their equipment destroyed to avert further brewery of illicit alcohol.

Among the liquor joints shut down are 6,500 operating in unauthorised areas and 12,250 operating without licences.

"We have been able to shut down 6,500 premises which were operating with licences but contrary to the Alcoholic Drinks Control Act which is superior to the county laws by virtue of our constitution. Those licences have been revoked for violating national law. We have also shut down 12,150 premises across the country which were operating without licences from any authority," Kindiki stated. 

"We have also shut down as at this morning (Monday) 14 distilleries which were operating illegally in various parts of the country and we have also destroyed the infrastructure of those breweries to ensure that we destroy the production capability of manufacturing poisonous substances to the people of Kenya."

Kindiki spoke on Monday, March 25, 2024, after a County Security Appraisal meeting with the County Heads of Security agencies, whom he encouraged to upscale the war on illicit liquor, narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.

"The Government expects each public officer to be individually accountable in their delivery of services to the public. Security and law enforcement officials are expected to exhibit even greater accountability, given the sensitive role they play in securing our Country," Kindiki stated.

"The key priorities for security agencies in Narok County include violent land disputes (Nkararo and the Narok-Migori border), land-related fraud, defilement, robberies and muggings, especially in Narok Town."

War against illicit liquor

The government has recently intensified its crackdown against illicit liquor, which Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua spearheads. On Sunday, Gachagua visited the homestead of 85-year-old Mama Grace Wahu, a widow and mother of 11, who allegedly lost her seven sons to the killer illicit liquor.

"A mother of 11, lost her seven sons to the killer illicit liquor. The deep pain of burying her children as a result of this vice is a national shame. Mama Wahu's story is a clear demonstration of the danger we are facing. And this is the sad story almost everywhere, only that people are not giving personal accounts. The Government will not relent in the fight against killer brews. The William Samoei Ruto Administration will eradicate this menace. It is the right and most responsible thing to do," Gachagua stated. By Francis Muli, K24