KIAMBU, Kenya – Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has announced a 100-day countrywide crackdown on second-generation alcohol and narcotics, warning that senior government officials, police officers, and politicians involved in the trade will face arrest.
Speaking in Kiambu on Monday after a county security meeting, Murkomen said the Rapid Results Initiative (RRI) will target rogue manufacturers, retailers, and consumers fueling the illicit alcohol trade, which he termed a major national security threat.
“Police officers, administration officers, politicians and influential individuals who are supposed to ensure compliance are complicit. Within the next 100 days, we will roll out an RRI involving both national and county teams to make sure this menace is addressed,” Murkomen said.
The CS noted that some licensed manufacturers have been adulterating alcohol, warning that their licenses will be revoked and businesses shut down.
He also faulted county governments for licensing bars and wines-and-spirits outlets in residential areas, near schools and colleges, and allowing them to operate round the clock.
Murkomen singled out Kiambu County as a hotspot for drug abuse, citing the rise of edible cannabis-infused snacks such as bread and mandazi—popularly known as kangumu—which are being sold to students in universities and colleges.
He directed sub-county security teams to work with student leaders, religious groups, and businesspeople to curb the trend, while warning officers against complicity in the illegal trade.
“Any officer found culpable will face disciplinary action. We will also institute regular transfers to prevent long-serving officers from being compromised,” he said.
Murkomen, who was in Kiambu for the 29th county security engagement under the Jukwaa la Usalama initiative, said chiefs and assistant county commissioners will be tasked with leading clean-up efforts in their regions.
The CS vowed that the government will not relent until the illicit alcohol menace is eradicated.
