The Government has intensified its crackdown on illicit alcohol and narcotics cartels, with authorities warning that enforcement operations will be stepped up across the country to dismantle criminal networks blamed for fuelling substance abuse.
The crackdown will be coordinated through a centralised multi agency command structure, with covert intelligence operations expected to play a key role in identifying manufacturers, distributors and other players involved in the illegal trade.
The Government says the campaign will target both established networks and small scale operators producing illicit alcohol in residential areas, informal settlements and other hidden locations.
Under the new measures, eight of the 36 manufacturers of second generation alcohol whose licences were suspended in 2024 for failing to comply with public health, environmental, security and quality requirements have had their licences cancelled.
The remaining 26 manufacturers that subsequently complied with the requirements will undergo fresh inspections with immediate effect.
The inspections are expected to establish whether the companies have fully complied with the regulations and whether their operations continue to meet the required standards.
The Government has also established a high level multisectoral team to oversee the campaign and strengthen coordination among national and county authorities, industry players and communities.
The team will be chaired by Deputy President Kithure Kindiki and will meet every two weeks to assess progress, address emerging challenges and coordinate enforcement measures.
Its mandate will also include working with industry representatives and local communities to identify suspected criminal cartels involved in the manufacture and distribution of illicit alcohol and narcotic drugs.
The team will further examine measures to support the rehabilitation of victims affected by substance abuse and crimes associated with illicit alcohol and drug networks.
The Government is also preparing new legislative measures aimed at tightening controls on the importation and use of ethanol, a key ingredient in the manufacture of alcoholic beverages.
Proposals expected within a month will seek to make it more difficult for criminals to divert ethanol intended for legitimate industrial purposes into the illicit alcohol market.
The proposed measures will also increase the penalties for the adulteration of alcoholic drinks, as the Government moves to close loopholes that have been exploited by criminal networks.
Authorities will simultaneously target informal production sites where illicit alcohol is manufactured in what officials describe as dark corners of local communities and urban centres.
Such operators will be identified and subjected to enforcement action, while authorities seek to dismantle the networks supplying them with raw materials, distributing their products and facilitating their operations.
The Government says the approach will go beyond arresting individual offenders to tracing the wider networks behind the illicit trade.
Officials have also warned against political or other interference in the enforcement campaign.
The zero tolerance initiative against illicit alcohol and narcotics cartels, the Government says, will be implemented without regard to political connections or other external influence.
The latest measures come amid growing concern over the social and economic consequences of illicit alcohol and drug abuse, particularly among young people and vulnerable communities.
By combining intelligence led investigations, regulatory inspections, legislative reforms, inter agency coordination and community participation, the Government intends to target the supply chain from the source of raw materials to production, distribution and consumption.
The fortnightly meetings of the high level team are expected to provide a platform for agencies to review intelligence, identify enforcement gaps and coordinate action against emerging criminal networks.
The Government has also signalled that legitimate manufacturers and industry players will remain part of the process as authorities seek to distinguish compliant businesses from operators engaged in illegal production and distribution.
The success of the campaign will ultimately depend on sustained enforcement, effective prosecution, tighter regulation of industrial inputs and cooperation between national agencies, county governments, communities and the legitimate alcohol industry.
