In its ongoing battle against illicit liquor and narcotics, the government has so far shut down at least 18,650 liquor outlets.
Inspectors discovered that 6,500 premises, which held valid licenses, were violating the Alcohol Control Act, whereas another 12,150 outlets were operating without licenses.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Professor Kithure Kindiki on Monday morning also reported the closure of 14 distilleries operating unlawfully, with their equipment being destroyed.
During his visit to Kisii Main Prison yesterday, the CS reiterated the government’s resolve to eradicate the menace once and for all by firmly enforcing the law.
“In the past whenever we were doing this, we were only doing it for a few months and then went back to factory settings. But this time round, we have decided to sustain the war permanently the way we have sustained the war on other serious national security threats,” CS Kindiki said.
Professor Kindiki further lamented that poisonous drinks and other drugs are wreaking havoc on the finest members of Kenya’s population.
“They are making our young people unproductive socially and economically. They are driving up crime and I want to confirm that since we started the crackdown on March 7, there has been a reduction in reported crime across the country.”
Professor Kindiki urged Kenyans, particularly the youth, to involve themselves in productive activities rather than squandering their lives on drugs and substance abuse.
“We want to secure our country, but we also want our people to engage in productive activities. When they wake up, not to go and look for poison themselves, not to go and look for drugs. But we want them when they wake up to go and struggle to feed their families by finding something to do,” the CS said.
Meanwhile, Professor Kindiki announced that plans to relocate Kisii Main Prison out of town were nearing completion, urging the county government to collaborate to ensure a smooth transition.
The decision to relocate the prison was made under President William Ruto’s administration to free up more land for the expansion of Kisii town.
The new prison will be constructed in the Nyanturago area of Nyaribari Chache County.
