Allies of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua have lashed out angrily at Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo over his remarks that the government is effectively addressing the fight against illegal alcohol abuse and that Gachagua’s claims of reluctance since he was thrown out of office are baseless, selfish, and politically driven.
Key Gachagua surrogates, including senators Karungo wa Thang’wa, Joe Nyutu, and Seki Lenku; hardline ruling party MPs James Gakuya, Jayne Kihara, John Kaguchia, George Koimburi, and Peter Kihungi; and other backers have accused PS Omollo of ignorance for failing to recognise that the deliberate procedures embodied in present efforts to control illicit brew are not sufficient in themselves, as the problem has assumed the dimensions of a national emergency, with Mt Kenya region being affected the most.
“In fact, we believe the PS was being dishonest in only acknowledging deaths in Nakuru County because there have been deaths everywhere, especially in the Mt Kenya region,” the leaders stated in their declaration.
> Why What Former Deputy President Gachagua Is Saying Is True
They further insisted, “The return of illicit alcohol is a serious threat that will once again destroy families and communities across the nation, particularly in the Mt Kenya region.”
Yesterday, PS Omollo, on behalf of the State Department for Internal Security and National Administration, condemned Gachagua’s allegations made during a church service in Naivasha. The former DP had accused President Ruto’s government of slowing the fight against illicit liquor and deliberately targeting Mt Kenya region residents with counterfeit alcohol distribution and sales. The PS described these accusations as reckless and unbecoming of a leader of Gachagua’s stature.
While acknowledging that drug and alcohol abuse, drug trafficking, and related criminal activity remain serious problems affecting the lives of most Kenyans, the PS spoke ambitiously about the government’s commitment to fighting illicit brew, outlining the promising strategies taken, such as the involvement of police and chiefs, in nationwide efforts to reduce overall substance abuse.
However, following the deaths of three individuals after consuming illicit alcohol in Lanet, Nakuru County, Gachagua’s allies challenged PS Omollo to disclose the details of all 29 companies said to be dealing in second-generation alcohol. They demanded to know when and where these companies were vetted, as well as the names of the 15 companies that were vetted and licensed, along with the areas where they distribute their products.
That was after the PS stated that all the 29 active manufacturers and distillers of second-generation alcohol in the country were vetted by a multi-agency team, including the Interior Ministry, the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA), the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), and the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA). Of these, only two were initially found fully compliant before a comprehensive re-vetting exercise involving 22 of the 27 dealers who had failed the initial test was done, leading to the licensing of 13 additional manufacturers to make a total of 15.
“The PS should specifically confirm whether the 13 companies he recently licensed were intended to sell exclusively in the Mt Kenya region and if he vetted them entirely by himself,” the legislators demanded.
Not satisfied, they further urged the government to clarify the steps being taken to curb the resurgence of illicit alcohol in regions like Mt Kenya, despite the claimed vetting of manufacturers and distillers.
Leave a comment