Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki has initiated a nationwide crackdown on village bars following the tragic deaths of over 13 individuals in Kirinyaga County due to consumption of illicit brew.
During a press briefing in Kirinyaga, Kindiki directed county commissioners and law enforcement agencies to immediately close outlets selling illicit alcohol in villages.
“We cannot have alcoholic establishments in the heart of villages ruining families,” Kindiki emphasized, urging county security teams to review and shut down all unlicensed bars in collaboration with county governments.
He announced plans to visit Kirinyaga next Wednesday to oversee the implementation of the directive, responding to residents’ calls for the closure of bars to combat the issue.
Following last week’s incident, where 13 people died after consuming toxic brew in Kangai, Kirinyaga, Kindiki ordered a thorough investigation and urged relevant agencies to take administrative action against those found responsible.
Moreover, the CS directed the removal and investigation of all security and national government administration officers implicated in the illicit liquor trade in Kirinyaga.
It was revealed that the liquor outlet responsible for the fatalities had operated without a license, despite the County Liquor Licensing Committee rejecting its application last December.
The tragic incident also resulted in five individuals losing their eyesight, with suspicions that the brew was contaminated with ethanol.
