Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua says he won’t relent in the ongoing fight against illicit liquor in the country.
Speaking during the induction service of Reverend David Chege of PCEA Gateway Parish in Roysambu, Nairobi, on Sunday, March 10, the country’s second-in-command said he is ready to lose the deputy president position for the sake of the young generation, who are at risk of being ruined by illicit liquor and drug abuse.
Citing threats from cartels in the business, Gachagua said the lives of the youth matter the most to him than the DP job.
“I was not born in the Deputy President position I just recently got it all those other years I was living a normal life eating and drinking. It is not a must I stay there forever,” the DP stated.
“If I lose this position because of protesting against the sale of this poison I am ready.”
Gachagua insisted that there was no pride in leading a drunken nation and stated that President William Ruto’s administration won’t stop until the menace is completely eliminated.
“We want to lead productive, decent people and we are not fighting anyone we just want to stop the sale of illicit brew,” he added.
Gachagua’s remarks come days after the government announced stringent measures to tame the sale of illicit liquor and drugs in the country.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki on Wednesday, March 6 announced the suspension of all licenses and certification permits for second-generation alcohol and alcoholic beverage distillers and manufacturers, issued by Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) and Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS).
The CS ordered fresh vetting of existing licences within 21 days, saying only premises receiving fresh approval will be allowed to resume operations.
In the new guidelines, all public officers in the enforcement and compliance chain including KRA, KEBS National Police Service (NPS) and NACADA were also barred from owning or operating a bar directly or through proxies.
CS Kindiki has also ordered immediate shutdown of bars, and clubs operating within residential areas and schools.
