By Kepher Otieno - Reporter
Kenya, 16 January 2026 - The seizure of illicit alcohol worth an estimated KSh 5 million in Uasin Gishu has underscored a hardening state posture against illegal brews and narcotics, with senior security officials framing the crackdown as both a public safety and national security imperative.
The operation—netting 1,406 boxes of illicit alcohol and a suspect—reflects an increasingly coordinated, intelligence-led approach that authorities say will be sustained until supply networks are dismantled.
The multi-agency raid in Eldoret and Pioneer Estate, involving the Kenya Police Service, the Alcoholic Drinks Control Board (ADCB), and regulatory agencies, exposed hallmarks of organized illicit trade: fake Kenya Revenue Authority tax stamps, suspected repackaging, and storage within residential areas. Police say the scale and sophistication of the haul point to entrenched syndicates rather than petty traders, a distinction shaping the state’s enforcement strategy.
Interior Principal Secretary Dr Raymond Omollo has repeatedly framed the war on illicit alcohol and drugs as non-negotiable, warning that the substances are “destroying families, undermining productivity, and threatening public order.”
In recent security briefings, Omollo has emphasized that enforcement will target financiers and distributors, not just street-level sellers, insisting that “no amount of profit will justify poisoning communities.”
Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has echoed that resolve, linking substance abuse to broader insecurity and economic decline.
Murkomen has said the government “will not tolerate criminal enterprises masquerading as businesses,” adding that illicit alcohol and drugs fuel crime, road carnage, and health crises. “We are closing the spaces that allow these vices to thrive—through law enforcement, regulation, and community vigilance,” he has stated.
On the ground, Uasin Gishu police say public tip-offs were pivotal to the latest seizure, reinforcing the administration’s push for citizen cooperation. County Police Commandant Benjamin Mwathi said the suspect arrested while distributing the alcohol led officers to the larger cache, with investigations now focused on supply chains and accomplices. He noted that recent weeks have also seen the confiscation of about 1,500 litres of chang’aa across the county, signaling a sustained offensive rather than a one-off raid.
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Regulatory agencies involved in the operation—KRA, KEBS, and the Anti-Counterfeit Authority—highlighted the dual threat posed by illicit alcohol: revenue loss to the state and severe health risks to consumers.
ADCB Director Koiya Arap Maiyo warned that storing dangerous substances in residential neighborhoods exposes children and families to harm, stressing that Eldoret “will not be a haven for illicit alcohol or illegal substances.”
County administrators say enforcement is tightening beyond seizures. Bar operators who display licensed brands but sell illicit brews or drugs risk license revocation and prosecution, a move aimed at dismantling “backroom” criminality within ostensibly legal outlets. County Commissioner Edisson Nyale said arrests have surpassed 110 in the current phase, with investigators homing in on suppliers targeting students and other vulnerable groups.
The Uasin Gishu crackdown mirrors a broader national escalation following President William Ruto’s declaration of a war on drugs, including proposals for tougher penalties against hard-drug traffickers. Security chiefs argue that decisive action is overdue, citing the social and economic toll of substance abuse. NACADA estimates millions of Kenyans are affected, a figure frequently cited by officials to justify stricter enforcement.
For residents and traders, the message from Nairobi and the counties is unambiguous.
As Dr Omollo puts it, “the state will use every lawful tool to protect lives,” while Murkomen’s stance is equally blunt: “those who profit from addiction will face the full force of the law.”
The Uasin Gishu seizure, authorities say, is both a warning shot and a preview of an uncompromising campaign to contain a vice the government now treats as a national emergency.
