Gachagua to Murkomen: Alcohol Laws Are Sufficient—Focus on Enforcement

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has openly criticised Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, accusing him of undermining previous successes in combating illicit alcohol and drug abuse. 

The rebuke follows Murkomen’s address at a National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) forum, intensifying divisions within the government over its current strategy on substance abuse. Murkomen's address attributed enforcement failures to complicity among local administrators, including chiefs and police officers, suggesting national-level initiatives have been ineffective due to grassroots resistance. 

"There is no alcohol or drugs sold in Kenya without the support and knowledge of the chief and the OCS," Murkomen said.

Gachagua has dismissed this explanation as a deflection, asserting that tangible progress was made during his tenure, leading to improvements in public health and increased revenue collection through excise duties. He claimed a significant reduction in illicit alcohol within a year due to "consistent hard work and practical interventions."

The former deputy president further alleges deliberate sabotage by government officials, leading to a resurgence of illegal brewing and the cessation of funding for a national rehabilitation programme led by his spouse, Pastor Dorcas Rigathi. According to Gachagua, this programme had successfully aided thousands of young people in recovering from addiction before its progress was halted through political interference.