Kabogo wants chiefs who fail to fight illicit brews sacked

Speaking during Mazingira Day celebrations in Kamae, Kiambu County, on Saturday, October 10, 2026, Kabogo accused local administrators of failing to act against illicit brewers despite knowing those involved in the trade.

“Illicit brew doesn’t rain from the sky. It is people that sell it, and they are known. The chief knows them too,” Kabogo said.

“If the chief knows them, is he waiting for the president to come and help him finish this problem?”

Kabogo argued that local administrators should take responsibility for addressing the menace instead of expecting President William Ruto to intervene in matters within their jurisdiction

“The thing the president should do is fire you. That is the next thing he should do,” he said, referring to chiefs who fail to act against illicit brewing.

“You know the problem. The children are telling you. Yet we want the president to come and help us.”

The CS further called for the arrest and prosecution of individuals involved in the sale of chang’aa and other illicit substances, saying the trade continues to harm communities.

“Anyone selling chang’aa and other illicit drugs should be in jail. And they don’t give it to their children,” he said.

Kabogo expressed concern that even children were familiar with illicit alcohol, arguing that this demonstrated the extent of the problem in affected communities.

“For the children to know the name of this thing, it means they know what is disturbing them,” he stated.

He also challenged religious leaders to take a more active role in addressing social challenges, including alcohol abuse, instead of influencing the political choices of their congregants.

“Now that is what the church is supposed to do. Not telling us who to vote for,” Kabogo said.

His remarks come amid ongoing government efforts to curb illicit alcohol production and distribution, with security agencies and the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) involved in enforcement operations.