Kirinyaga County Commissioner (CC) Shufaa Mwajuma has warned bar owners selling illicit alcohol to stop the practice, even  as security agencies intensified crackdown on the vice across the county.

Speaking in Baricho, Ndia Constituency during a meeting with National Government Administrative Officers (NGAO) and security officials on the ongoing fight against illicit brew, Mwajuma said security agencies had confiscated 283 litres of Makavo, 49 litres of Muratina and seven kilogrammes of bhang, as well as 432 rolls of the same between August 1 and September 30, 2026.

“This is not just empty talk, but actual action in the fight against illicit brew,” she said.

The CC said 54 cases related to illicit alcohol offences were currently before the courts, while 28 suspects had been arrested and presented to court during a three-day Rapid Response Initiative (RRI).

Mwajuma said security teams had also raided 10 bars in Kirinyaga West Sub-County, uncovering various violations including operating outside stipulated hours either before or beyond authorized hours without night licenses.

Some bars, she said, lacked health compliance certificates and had not undergone the required medical inspections.

“Customers visiting those premises are citizens who deserve protection,” she said, while urging bar operators to obtain all required licences and certificates, saying customers deserved protection from unsafe premises.

She also called on the County Government to ensure that safety and health requirements are met before issuing licenses, raising concern over bars operating close to schools, hospitals and residential areas.

“It is improper to issue licenses to bars located barely three metres from schools, hospitals and residential areas. Some bars were operating barely three metres from schools, hospitals and residential areas, hence the need for greater public participation in the licensing process,” she said.

She said chiefs and local residents should be involved in scrutinizing proposed bars, noting that the number of bars in some areas had surpassed that of food grocery shops.

The CC also appealed to judicial officers to impose higher fines on offenders convicted of illicit alcohol-related offences.

She cited a case where an offender was fined Sh3,000, saying such low penalties could undermine the efforts of security agencies in fighting the vice.

This is very little money, once fined that amount, the offender simply pays and walks away, she added.

State House Head of Creative Economy and Special Projects, Dennis Itumbi said local authorities had established that underage children were  also accessing alcohol in bars, warning those involved that the government would not tolerate the practice.

Itumbi said the crackdown would focus on protecting children from alcohol, which he said was threatening the younger generation.

“We came together to warn those people who are involving our children and next generation into the issues of alcohol, that we will not take kindly any of that business,” he said.

Itumbi also appealed to the Judiciary to impose the maximum fines provided for by law on people convicted of offences linked to illicit alcohol.

The State House official also said low fines were discouraging security agencies and other authorities involved in the crackdown, as offenders could easily pay the penalties and return to the illicit alcohol trade.

“We appeal to the Judiciary to give maximum fines for the people presented to them in court,” he said.

He further announced intensified enforcement against bars operating near schools, saying the law prohibits bars from operating within 300 metres of a school.

“As for the bars operating near schools, the law prohibits any bar operating 300 metres away from a school,” he said.

Itumbi said the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) would be part of the enforcement operation targeting bars operating near schools, as the government intensifies the crackdown on illicit alcohol.

He said the government, in collaboration with NACADA, the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) and the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), would integrate rehabilitation into the ongoing crackdown to ensure people battling alcohol addiction receive support to overcome dependency and successfully reintegrate into society.

He also issued a warning to manufacturers and suppliers transporting alcohol into Kirinyaga during the night, announcing the establishment of roadblocks across the county.

“Those who are bringing in alcohol in the wee hours of the night at 3 am, at 2am, past midnight—be warned that now there will be roadblocks across Kirinyaga,” he said.

Itumbi said authorities would not allow illicit alcohol to be transported into the county from outside, pledging tougher enforcement against those involved in its manufacture and distribution.

by David Wandeto