NACADA, Police, KRA to join hands in new war on illicit alcohol in Mt Kenya » Capital News

NYERI, Kenya, Aug 21 — The government has announced plans to form a multi-agency team to intensify the fight against illicit brews and adulterated alcohol in the Mt Kenya region.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said the team will comprise officials from NACADA, the National Police Service, and the Kenya Revenue Authority, and will be mandated to eliminate the brews that have become a major concern in the region.

“We are serious about fighting this vice. We will form a clandestine agency that cannot be challenged in court. This will enable us to deal firmly with the problem of illicit brews wreaking havoc in the counties,” Murkomen said during the Jukwaa la Usalama forum in Nyeri.

The CS said the agency will carry out sting operations to aid county and regional teams in apprehending those behind the illegal trade.

National-county synergy

He stressed that cooperation with county governments will be crucial, especially since liquor licensing is a devolved function.

“We will conduct raids together with county enforcement officials. Most of the work will focus on this line because the problem of high alcohol consumption stems from many bars operating illegally without licenses,” he said.

Murkomen noted that Kiambu still leads in alcohol consumption, followed by Murang’a, while Nyeri County has recorded relatively fewer cases.

Accompanied by local leaders led by Senator Wahome Wamatinga, Murkomen further expressed concern over rising cases of suicide linked to drug abuse in the region.

“It is unfortunate that this county has witnessed many men committing suicide due to drug abuse. The poverty index here is not particularly high, so we can only attribute this to substance abuse,” he said.

The CS urged stakeholders, including religious groups, to establish strong counseling and rehabilitation programs to help save lives.

On security, Murkomen revealed that police are still pursuing a suspected serial killer linked to the murder of several women whose bodies were dumped at a site in Kwale.

“We are looking for him dead or alive,” he said.