Gachagua proposes stiffer penalties to make it next to impossible to sell alcohol in Central Kenya
Deputy President Rigathi
Gachagua has asked Central Kenya Counties to enact tough laws to curb manufacturing, sale
and consumption of illicit brews and substance abuse.
Key among
his proposed measures includes the formation of liquor licensing boards comprising
people with integrity, and forfeiture to county governments of motor vehicles
ferrying illegal alcohol.
DP Gachagua
spoke when he addressed representatives of five county assemblies from Nyeri,
Murang’a, Nyandarua, Kirinyaga and Kiambu, in Naivasha, Nakuru County, when he
opened a three-day consultative meeting on establishment of uniform laws on illicit
brew on Thursday evening.
The Deputy President said stringent laws and deterrent measures will make it hard for
alcohol manufacturers and traders to engage in counterfeit second
generation liquor.
“I ask
you to consider reestablishing the liquor licensing boards that will be vetting
application for permits by business persons to trade in alcohol. Membership
should include the County Commissioners, Director of Criminal Investigations,
National Campaign Against Drug and Authority (NACADA), public health officers,
the religious leaders, among other men and women of integrity,” he said.
Those that
sit in the board will also need to be vetted by the respective county assembly,
he proposed, adding that they can also be impeached if they fail to execute
their duties by a simple majority of 50+1%.
The
Deputy President said that the proposed law should “make it next to impossible
to sell alcohol.”
“Consider
proposing what can be done to motor vehicles found transporting illicit and
illegal alcohol. They should be forfeited to the county governments,” he
stated.
Gachagua said that lack of effective legal framework was one of the major challenges facing eradication of illicit
brew.
"The current pieces of legislation and regulations have not been helpful or
effective in solving the proliferation of the menace. In Nyandarua County, for instance, there is no legal framework to regulate alcohol consumption and trade. In the other counties, the laws were hastily enacted and have not
helped the situation," he said.
Participants of the forum include
lawyers and State counsels from the office of the Attorney General and National
Assembly as well as national government officers from the Anti-Counterfeit Agency, National Police Service, Kenya Bureau of Standards and NACADA.
Among other proposals by Gachagua is control in issuance of liquor
trading licenses such as consideration of an outlet per distance and
population.
“Applications
for trading in liquor should not be issued throughout the year. Consider
allowing a window of two to three weeks for making application, vetting and
appeal of the decision,” he said.
In
addition, the country’s second-in-command called for heavy penalties for those
selling alcohol to persons under the age of 18 years.
Asking
the participants to commit themselves in the law-making process, the DP told
them that they have a responsibility to save the next generation by providing a
solution towards eradication of the menace.
“You have
a date with destiny; you have a date with history. The people depend on you to
provide leadership. We cannot accept a situation where our mothers and women
are crying because of hopelessness,” he said.
He added
that by Monday next week, he expects a draft of the law, which will be
subjected to county assembly procedures. The county assemblies are expected to
have passed the law before June 30, 2023.
“I will
come for the public participation fora; that is how serious I am,” he said.
The five
counties were priority because alcohol and substance abuse is prevalent in the
region according to NACADA.
The
Deputy President said that he was instructed by President William Ruto to
provide leadership in eradicating the menace in Central Kenya, adding that
these counties will be a model for other regions across the country.
This is
one of a series of meetings that the DP has held with the National Government
Administrative Officers, top security chiefs, office of the Director of Public
Prosecutions, Members of Parliament, Governors and Members of the County Assemblies.
He has
also held discussions with relevant regulatory and monitoring agencies such as
Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) and Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) among others.
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