KRA, KEBS, NACADA Join Forces In Crackdown After Illicit Alcohol Kills 6
The move comes in response to an incident whereby six people were confirmed dead and five others went blind after consuming illicit alcohol in Kangai village, Kirinyaga County.
Marvin Chege 
Officers drawn from the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) and the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) launched a nationwide crackdown on Tuesday, February 6, targeting bars selling illicit alcohol.
The move comes in response to an incident whereby six people were confirmed dead and five others went blind after consuming illicit alcohol in Kangai village, Kirinyaga County.
Speaking to the media, Kirinyaga Health County Executive Committee Member George Karoki stated that the illicit brew, dubbed "California", was suspected to have contained ethanol, adding that patients hospitalized after drinking the deadly alcohol exhibited signs of blurred vision.
Two of the men who reportedly went blind after consuming illicit liquor in Kirinyaga sit outside a house on Tuesday, February 6, 2024 as a crowd gathers. /CITIZEN DIGITAL
“They had taken some illicit brew and we are suspecting it must have had ethanol because the type of signs and symptoms that have been exhibited from the patients have shown that they were blurred vision,” said Karoki.
He added, “We know very well that this kind of chemical will cause issues with the liver, what we call liver cirrhosis and other nervous system problems. That is why they cannot be able to see well.”
Karoki went on to reveal that among the deceased was a patient who had been referred to the Kerugoya County Referral Hospital but died upon arrival on Tuesday.
He added that relatives of the deceased said that five other family members had died within their residences after consuming the liquor and that their bodies had been moved to a funeral home. The sixth person died while being ferried to the hospital.
Among those who were rendered blind by the deadly brew were four men of different ages and an elderly woman.
"We have other reports that we got from relatives and family members that we are yet to confirm, they are saying they lost five other relatives who had consumed the illicit brew," Karoki added.
"We are told that they died at their residences and were therefore taken straight to mortuary."
Mwea Deputy County Commissioner Teresia Wanjiku on the other hand pointed out that authorities have not been successful in dealing with ethanol cases in the region.
“We have prosecuted more than 10 cases and we have not been successful in most of them, especially on ethanol which we confiscated in this homestead and we were told to produce the apparatus from the manufacturers. I don’t know which ones are expected in that case because ethanol you just mix it with water and that’s all,” the Mwea DCC stated, adding that they were moving the alcohol-related cases to the Wanguru law courts due to the frustrations.
Meanwhile, the first crackdown was done in Ndeiya, Kiambu County where several people were arrested for allegedly selling uncertified, illegal drinks.
While commenting on the crackdown, NACADA Chief Executive Officer Anthony Omerikwa indicated that the crackdown would continue across the country in collaboration with county governments.
"We will carry out a census, we will move from one establishment to another to ensure that we mop up and comb up this area. So we are around to ensure that the public is not aggrieved," Omerikwa stated.
"We will work hand in hand with county governments to ensure everything that is required to be followed before a license is issued is indeed followed."
According to Omerikwa, the multi-agency crackdown will involve verification of licensed bars and reexamination of the law to ensure there are no developments of illegal businesses in the villages.
