How innovation can help win the fight against illicit alcohol
Chang'aa brewers appear to have become innovative, using pits along river banks to prepare illicit liquor. Security officers in Nanyuki Town, Laikipia County found five containers with kangara in dug out pits along the banks of River Likii.
Photo credit: Mwangi Ndirangu I Nation Media Group
The flurry of activities that followed the death of at least 17 people in Kangai, Kirinyaga, after consuming illicit brew has died down.
The police who were alleged to have allowed the impounded alcohol to be sneaked back were transferred, people were arrested and charged, and irate villagers burnt the bar where the drink was sold.
So much more has happened that you might be forgiven for thinking the events were in 2023, not this year.
Perhaps only the grieving families, left with an emptiness that no words can fill because of an avoidable problem, remember the circumstances that left them with a void.
Still, this latest incident underscores a pressing and pervasive problem in Kenya—the proliferation of illicit alcohol, a menace that not only endangers public health but also undermines legitimate business and erodes consumer trust.
Illicit alcohol remains a persistent danger. More than half of the alcohol sold in Kenya is illicit, according to a 2023 study by Euromonitor International, and the consequences are dire.
These illicit brews, often concocted in unhygienic and unregulated conditions, pose severe risks to consumers. The ingredients used are often toxic, and the resulting alcohol is of an unknown standard, meaning a consumer doesn’t know how much they will be affected by what they take.
Beyond the immediate health risks, illicit alcohol wreaks havoc on the economy, damaging the reputation of legitimate brands and costing the government substantial revenue in lost taxes at Sh67 billion annually.
As this crisis continues unaddressed, we must go beyond conventional approaches to tackle the problem. The government has made commendable efforts, such as introducing the Soma Label app by the Kenya Revenue Authority, to enable consumers to verify the authenticity of alcohol products.
State agencies that enforce the law and ensure adherence to standards need to do more to stop the production and distribution of illicit alcohol.
Counties in the central Kenya region have enacted laws to restrict the sale of alcohol, but they seem not to be alive to the fact that often, over-regulation is more likely to drive the sale of illicit alcohol underground.
To truly combat counterfeit alcohol, a more comprehensive strategy is required—one that goes beyond punitive measures and engages the industry in proactive, innovative ways.
The dust has settled in Kangai, but the lessons from such tragedies must drive us to adopt more strategies.
