Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki has announced new measures as the government steps to tame illicit brew and substance abuse in the country.

In the announcement made on Wednesday, March 6, Kindiki said that the government had made a decision to revoke all the licences for companies that manufacture and distribute second-generation liquor.

NACADA describes second-generation alcoholic drinks as recently introduced drinks that are low-priced and have high alcohol content.

These drinks do not undergo fermentation or distillation processes and are made by simply mixing Neutral Spirit, Water, and Flavours.

According to the CS, the move was necessitated by the widespread sale of illicit brew and substance abuse, which has negatively impacted the country through increased crime rate and spread of diseases such as HIV/AIDS.

“Every household in Kenya today hosts and can relate to instances of drug abuse. No family has been spared. On this basis, the president assigned the deputy president the role on leading the war on alcohol and drug abuse,’’ he said.

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Following the directive, issuance of licenses and certifications to the affected companies will be done afresh subject to compliance with the new guidelines which include the establishment of special laboratories in the factories.

This includes certifications issued by the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) and the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS).

“All existing valid licenses will be vetted afresh within 21 days of this directive with premises approved to resume operations only upon receipt of a fresh approval,” Kindiki said.

The fresh guidelines stipulate that all alcohol manufacturers should publish all alcohol details, including ingredients, the manufacturer, and the location of the manufacturing plant. The order aims to tame the production of counterfeit liquor.

In addition, all alcohol manufacturers will document all traders in their distribution chain for easy tracing. Liquor will be transported within a specified time in vehicles of standard color.

The CS further called for the immediate closure of all bars located in residential areas and those near learning institutions.

“All licenses issued to bars contrary to the law, especially premises within residential areas and educational institutions, are declared null and void, and county security teams across the country must enforce the law cited with immediate effect,” he said.