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By Brian Kiprono - Reporter
Kenya, 6 January 2026 - The government has rolled out a sweeping, coordinated campaign to curb the spread of illicit alcohol and drugs, as Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen warned that substance abuse has reached levels that threaten the country’s social and economic future.
Speaking after chairing a high-level meeting of security and regulatory agencies, Murkomen said the crackdown follows a direct directive from President William Ruto, issued during his New Year Address, to urgently scale up the fight against illegal brews and narcotics.
“The prevalence of illicit alcohol and drugs in our country has reached alarming levels, posing a serious threat to the future of our nation,” Murkomen said.
The meeting brought together senior officials from law enforcement, standards and regulatory bodies to agree on a joint strategy aimed at dismantling supply networks, disrupting trafficking routes and addressing the long-term impact of substance abuse on communities.
At the centre of the new approach is the immediate strengthening of the Anti-Narcotics Unit. Murkomen said additional officers will be deployed without delay, with numbers set to increase progressively to the required capacity by the end of the year.
“We resolved to immediately strengthen the Anti-Narcotics Unit through the deployment of additional officers,” he said.
The Interior CS also announced the formation of a multi-agency task team that will begin operations immediately to coordinate a nationwide crackdown on illicit ethanol and drugs. The task force will not only target manufacturers, distributors and traffickers, but will also go after the profits generated from the illegal trade.
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“This operation will include the seizure of assets and property acquired from the proceeds of illicit alcohol and drug trafficking, in accordance with the law,” Murkomen said.
To choke supply chains, the government plans to intensify security patrols along ungazetted border points and major transit routes commonly used to move illegal substances across the country. According to Murkomen, tighter border controls are key to disrupting cross-border trafficking.
Beyond enforcement, the government says it will work closely with county administrations to expand rehabilitation and recovery services for those affected by addiction.
“The team will collaborate closely with county governments to strengthen rehabilitation and recovery programmes for victims of drug and substance abuse,” Murkomen said.
The meeting was attended by Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, Director of Criminal Investigations Mohamed Amin, Deputy Inspectors General Eliud Lagat and Gilbert Masengeli, NACADA CEO Dr Anthony Omerikwa, KEBS CEO Dr Esther Ngari and Assets Recovery Agency Director-General Mark Ogonji, among other senior officials.
Murkomen said the coordinated strategy signals a renewed commitment to protecting public health, improving security and safeguarding the country’s future from the growing threat of illicit alcohol and drugs.
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