Let’s legalise chang’aa and sell it to Kenyans – Ass Chief tells Murkomen
An assistant chief from Siaya County, going by the name Nicholas Awuor, on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, told interior cs Kipchumba Murkomen to legalise the production and sale of chang’aa.
Speaking during the Jukwaa la Usalama Siaya chapter, the assistant chief gave a blow-by-blow account of why chang’aa is not always harmful if regulated.
Chang’aa is better than imported spirits
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Addressing cs murkomen directly, Awuor argued that despite government crackdowns, illicit alcohol remains widely consumed across Kenya.
“Our cs, Governor Orengo, and all protocols were observed. My name is Nicholas Awuor, assistant chief, Malanga Division, in North Gem location and Yala sub-county.
Also watch: NACADA nets 1,000 litres of chang’aa, arrests three in Kawangware
“As a team, we have worked tirelessly and found out that 60 per cent of alcohol being taken in Kenya is still illicit despite all the efforts put in this fight.
“Sir, Murkomen Chang’aa had been categorised as a local brew before its ban. Sir, Chang’aa, in its composition, the illicit thing in it is that it is not regulated.
“But comparing chang’aa with the spirits we have that come from Uganda, the second generation brews, those ones are the most lethal,” he stated.
The assistant chief added that regulated distillation and packaging would make chang’aa safer than imported spirits, which he said are more dangerous.
Jobs and revenue for Kenyans
Awuor said that legalising chang’aa could turn it into an industry that creates jobs and raises revenue for the country.
“We want to see if there are other ways of dealing with chang’aa apart from the penal way. I am sure if we provide resources whereby distillation is regulated, packaging is regulated, so that we can have chang’aa from Siaya being sold to other parts of the country.
“We will create jobs just like Keroche Industries. Chang’aa is made of unga wheat and sugar,” he added.
His proposal stirred debate among leaders and locals attending the event, with some supporting his call for a regulated market while others maintained that chang’aa should remain outlawed due to its destructive history.
